The Dream Devourer
by SolaShines
Summary: Chiisai is just another villager in Konoha. With no ninja skills, the woman spends her days with little excitement. That is, until she is attacked. Sick with a concussion, the elite ninja known as Hatake Kakashi volunteers as her caretaker. Why does he want to help this woman, and why does he get the feeling that something lurks behind that innocent face?
1. Meeting

*Author's Note** _First fanfic, so let's see how it will turn out! This definitely is a KakashiXOC fanfic, but there's a lot more action (in upcoming chapters) than I realized. I'd want to hear what you like/don't like! Feedback is fantastic, no matter when you read this story!**_

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Kakashi sank to his knees beside Chiisai. His fist came down hard on the marble floor, causing it to crack and splinter under his weight. His head bowed, he closed his eye, fighting down the familiar emotions that swallowed him up. Slowly, he pulled half of her body into his arms. She was limp and empty, only a shell of what she used to be. Her head tilted back and her hair parted to reveal her expressionless face and her wide gaping eyes, her cheeks still wet from her tears.

"You stupid girl," he whispered raggedly. "You weren't supposed to do that."

He traced the side of her face, silently cursing and begging that she come back to him. Her skin was cold to the touch, unlike the fire that burned inside him. He willed her to feel his warmth, to open her eyes as his fingers sank into her arm. But this nightmare around him was real, and Chiisai didn't wake up.

He brought his face close to hers, brushing her hair back for the last time as he kissed the top of her forehead.

Against his instincts, Kakashi laid her back down. He backed away slowly, though he couldn't tear his eye away from her. No, he couldn't linger like this.

But what could Kakashi do while stuck in the shell of Chiisai's mind? She had been the key to this mission, and now she was no more.

He turned away from her, holding his face in his hands. The mission was failing.

What had they done?

**-Two Weeks Before-**

The only reason he ever noticed her happened because he didn't. At least, that's what she thought. He had been talking to Gai, trying to turn down another rival challenge. In his efforts to end the conversation, Kakashi had turned to walk away. Unfortunately, he turned right when she was walking past him.

He grabbed her shoulders, his touch cold against her bare skin. "Ah, sorry. You okay?" Kakashi asked as he straightened her stumbling frame. He removed his hands as she blinked in surprise. She smelled like books.

The woman took her eyes away from his green vest and tilted her head up. The jonin was more than a head taller than her, with only one eye visible against his fabric-cladded face. This was Hatake Kakashi, the elite copy ninja. A familiar pain shot across the woman's forehead as his old nightmares raked across her vision, stealing her breath away.

"Yeah, I'm good." She forced a friendly smile, secretly cursing that she had clumsily gotten herself into this predicament. Damn, today had started out so good too.

Might Gai peeked over Kakashi's shoulder slowly, sizing the girl up. His eyes widened and his bushy eyebrows shot up as he stepped out from behind his friend. He pointed a finger at her dramatically, his voice rose with the excitement he couldn't contain. "So full of youth and so adorable! Konoha needs more girls like you!"

She let out a hesitant laugh and replied, "Thanks, but I'm older than I look."

Guy let out a gasp. "Really?! Let me guess!" He squinted his eyes as he leaned down, stroking his chin in thought. "Eighteen?"

She shook her head. Slowly, her shoulders relaxed. There was no need to have her guard up right now. This was a simple conversation... Hopefully she could handle a small exchange of words.

He then went around, eyeing her as if he was trying to find a price tag on a piece of clothing. "Seventeen-no, nineteen?!"

She frowned and opened her mouth, but Gai cut her off as he stepped closer to her. "TWENTY!" Before she could speak, Gai stepped even closer, causing the woman to lean back. "TWENTY-"

Now it was Kakashi's turn to cut Gai off. "Twenty five." He peered down at her evenly as he yanked his friend back like an eager puppy.

Her cheery front was starting to dissipate. "Twenty-six."

The overly-youthful ninja grinned and exclaimed, "Aha! Even my eternal rival couldn't guess!" Kakashi just shrugged, preferring to show no interest.

Might Gai blinked down at the short woman in front of him, putting a pause on his fist pump. "You look familiar. Kakashi, doesn't she look familiar?" He turned to his friend, who shrugged again. Both now studied the woman, much to her growing unease.

The breeze picked up, lifting her hair up and around her face. Her hand pushed the long brown strands back as she said evenly, "We both jog early in the morning...You pass me at least three times."

He let the words sink in as the woman fingered through her hair. He looked her up and down once more before his eyes lit up. "That's right! You're the one with the nice-" He straightened abruptly as Kakashi and the woman frowned at him. "…Form! You have excellent running form!" Guy thrust his hand out to her and said, "I'm Might Gai, the Green Beast of Konoha! And you are?"

She cautiously took his hand as he shook hers firmly. "Chiisai."

"Even cuter!" He grinned. Gai wrapped his arm around his friend's neck, yanking him toward himself. "And this is my eternal rival, Kakashi!" He jutted a thumb at the ninja who shared no humor in the situation.

She forced another smile as she observed the ninjas in front of her. Their dreams, she discovered, were the same as their personalities. Chiisai's dark eyes now wandered to the sky, where the Sun begun to set. "Well, I have to run, but it was nice meeting you." She gave them a nod before resuming down the street. Both Gai and Kakashi watched her hips move in a steady rhythm until she turned the corner.

"Nice form, huh?" Kakashi muttered to his friend, who still had his arm around him.

"Yep," Gai nodded in response. Suddenly, the green beast of Konoha yanked his friend even closer, nearly choking him in a headlock. "So what about that challenge, eternal rival?!"

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The second time he noticed her was at the bookstore. He was in his favorite genre section, peering through the shelves in search for a book he hadn't already read. He stepped into the next aisle to see her small frame against the shelf, looking intently at a scandalous book. Kakashi stood there for a minute, taking in the way her hair hung over her face as her forehead was pressed against the wooden shelf.

Her head was down, body hunched, oblivious to all around her as she read each sentence. Today she had on a plain grey jacket that her body was drowning in. It was at least two sizes too big for her, almost coming down to her knees.

Chiisai let out a sigh, pulling him out of his observations. Kakashi finally walked up to her, noticing the familiar book in her hand. "You don't seem the type of girl who enjoys BDSM books."

She immediately straightened as if caught in a criminal act. The book tumbled out of her hands and she failed at catching it. "Shit! Oh, sorry. Hey," the words tumbled out. Amused, Kakashi picked up the book and handed it to her. Chiisai mumbled a thank you before she glanced at him. She asked innocently, "…Your name has something to do with farming?"

He raised an eyebrow and replied, "…Kakashi."

"Right." She took one last glimpse at the book before putting it back on the shelf. Turning to him, she scratched her head and explained, "I'm trying to read a book from a different genre each week. It's just hard to find something not so erotic."

"Then what kind of romance?" This was a challenge easily accepted.

Chiisai placed a hand on her hip, shifting her weight to the other foot. She shouldn't have felt the need to explain herself. And now, the ninja was curious. Well, she would have to shoot down that curiosity and make him go away. "No really, I'm fine."

Hmm, her defensive reply and nervous look most likely meant she didn't want to tell him, which meant...

"So you are into BDSM," he commented.

"Of course not!" Chiisai's face took on a reddish hue as she glared at the ninja. "You really want to know?" She crossed her arms and said, "Cheesy. Awful cheesy romance."

Kakashi nodded before strolling past her. _Icha Icha _was out of the question, but if he recalled correctly (which he always did), there was one book that had him both gagging and blushing at the same time...

She watched him stop as his finger traced a spine. He pried the book loose from the shelf and came back."This should have all the 'cheese' you're looking for."

Chiisai blinked down at the novel, surprised that he had actually chosen one. She ran a hand through her hair, pushing it back yet again. Smirking to herself, she tilted her head and said, "You really must read a lot of romance novels." He shifted his eyes away and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I've read a few."

She shrugged and muttered, "Well, I find it hard to discriminate against literary genres, so whatever works I guess." Chiisai was just glad there were people out there who still enjoyed reading.

The jonin blinked down at her, mildly surprised at her response. Most women either blushed or gave him a stern look when it came to his books. This woman might be interesting after all.

She met his gaze, but quickly turned away with a pained expression. "Well, I have run. Thanks for the book."

"No problem." He watched her until she was out of sight. The ninja scratched his head for a moment, trying to figure out the short female who pretended she didn't know he was. And why did she grimace every time she looked at him? Hm, he must have come across a bit too perverted. Maybe he should apologize for-

He shook his head roughly, alarmed at his own thoughts. To distract himself, the man eyed the shelf nearest him, scanning for any unfamiliar books. But the image of her pushing her hair came to mind several times in the next few minutes, interrupting his search. Something about her was off…

Kakashi sighed to himself and drew his hand back. That girl was going to be on his mind tonight it seemed. Lazily, he walked back towards the exit, waving at the cashier as he went by. The bell dinged as he stepped out into the darkness. Was it really almost nine?

He turned the corner, noting the lack of people out. It was unusually quiet. Well, it had been a rainy day. The wind picked up, bristling his unkept hair. Kakashi paused midstep as he turned down a small road.

"So you want a bit of romance, eh?" A deep scrutty voice came with the wind.

"If I did, it wouldn't be from you," a familiar voice spat.

The wind was carrying the voices, audible to Kakashi's trained ears. The ninja silently headed towards the source of the sounds, blending into the night. His shoes slushed against the soggy ground.

The man grunted in pain. "You bitch! You'll pay for that!"

There was a gasp, a grunt followed by a couple of whacks, and the tearing of clothing. Kakashi was already at the scene, his fingers tightening around the man's arm with an iron grip.

But the damage to Chiisai had already been done.


	2. The Journal

The man, on suddenly seeing the Copy Ninja, let out a cry as he tried to stumble back. "P-please don't kill me," the man trembled.

Kakashi glanced down at Chiisai. Her jacket had been ripped open, her top torn down the middle. There was a gash across her cheek and her forehead was decorated with bloody scrapes. She wasn't moving.

Before the man could blink, the ninja's fist made contact with the assaulter's face. The man slammed into the wall before slumping into a heap on the ground. Kakashi then turned to the unconscious woman. He stepped towards her, his shoe sinking into the mud. He raised his foot up and glanced down. Her book laid face down in a puddle, completely ruined.

Disregarding the novel, Kakashi bent down and slid an arm under Chiisai's back, lifting her upper body up. She leaned against him, her back soaked in muddy water. He brushed a hand against her cheek, pushing her hair back. Gently, he tapped the side of her face.

She let out a moan as her eyes gradually opened. Her black eyes had lost their luster as she tried to focus on him.

"Do you remember your name?" Kakashi's serious voice filled the alley, sharp and clear.

She blinked, her long lashes fluttering. Her lips parted and her eyebrows furrowed. "I don'…feel well." Suddenly, she turned out of his arm as her body heaved. Kakashi quickly adjusted, pulling her hair back as she bent over and vomited. Her body lurched again, her stomach emptying its contents on the soggy ground. The smell of bile filled the air. When she was done, Kakashi carefully picked her up as it started to rain.

She slumped against his back, the drops of water hitting her already soaked jacket.

"I'm taking you to the hospital," Kakashi informed her as he jumped unto the nearest roof. "Okay?"

"I…mii…puke onya," was her raspy response. Kakashi ignored her acrid breath as he jumped to the next rooftop. The rain pelted them now, coming down in sheets.

"Do you know your name?"

"You…Name…?"

"You have a concussion," he muttered to himself.

Her fingers tightened around his vest, her voice barely heard over the rain. "You…real?"

Kakashi landed outside the hospital, soaked to the bone. He bolted in, leaving a trail of water behind him as his shoes squeaked against the linoleum.

She was admitted at once and carried into a room.

Kakashi watched for a moment as a nurse attended Chiisai. Her face, he noticed, was still oozing blood. After a few minutes, the nurse approached him.

"We'll keep her overnight, clean her up. She has a concussion, but we don't know how severe it might be yet. What happened?"

"Assault and attempted rape," Kakashi kept his voice level. "Her head was bashed into a wall," his tone hid his rising anger. After the woman nodded, the ninja turned. "I have to take care of her attacker. I'll be back to check on her in the morning." He paused. "Her name is Chiisai." And with that, he disappeared down the hall.

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Her eyes blinked open and she immediately shut them. The light gave her a searing pain, and she gave out a moan as her body slowly awoke. She had no memory of this place or how she got here. Maybe she was dreaming…The thought made chills run down her spine. But she felt awfully sleepy for it to be a dream. And why was she so dizzy and ache-y? Her whole head hurt…

"Hello," a woman's voice seemed to echo in her mind.

"…Huh? Hey."

"Do you remember your name?" A woman's voice came again.

She cringed at the sound. "My…Name?"

"Yes."

Her name. It was an easy task…A three year old could do it. Then why was it so hard?

"It starts…With an C?"

"Good," the woman replied. There's the sound of pen on paper.

The patient turned her head to the woman, taking in her white garb. This woman looked familiar, though she knew they had ever met. "You're a nurse."

The nurse smiled in response. "Yes. I'll be taking care of you for the next few hours. How do you feel?"

"Tired." She paused, trying to find thoughts in the fog of her mind. "Is this a dream? Some sort of genjutsu? I feel foggy." Her words were sluggish, like she couldn't grasp a hold of her mouth.

"Nope, this is the real world. You feel foggy?"

"Yeah," she blinked at the woman. "My mind's all…wobbly and dark."

"Oh. Like groggy?"

"That's the word. Groggy." But then her head began to spin. She squinched her eyes shut, her facial muscles pulling on her scraped skin. She lifted a hand to her head, only to feel bandages around her forehead. Her fingers traced her face, wincing as she came across a bandage on her cheek. "What happened?" Why was it so cold?

"You were attacked."

"Well, did I at least put up a fight? I probably lost. Wait, why was I attacked?" The throbbing worsened, and she cringed at the pain. But with the pain came memory. Slowly, information seemed to seep out.

"My name is Chiisai. Karasu Chiisai," she said slowly. Chiisai groaned as the headache pierced her skull.

"Do you need pain medication?"

"No," she tried to say evenly. "I'm alright." Her eyes opened up, focused now.

"I need to go." She pushed herself upright in bed, but the dizziness weighed her back down.

"I'm sorry, but I need to thoroughly check you before I can allow you to leave."

She winced at the splitting headache. "Then who's going to feed my cat?"

"Your cat?"

"I have a cat I feed every morning at six before I go jogging." Chiisai looked down at her body, prodding her toned body with a finger. "What time is it?"

The world spun once more, causing her to shut her eyes as the nurse spoke. "It's seven in the morning."

"Hmm." She forced her eyes open. "So what do you need to know?"

"I need to give you a brief examination."

Chiisai really didn't want too. But the faster she got this over with, the faster she could get home, feed her cat, and sleep. Where was home anyway? "Ask away then," she tried to say cheerfully, but it came out forced. There was so much pressure in her head…

The nurse stood on seeing the patient's expression. "How about we wait a while? Just rest for now."

Before she could reply, the nurse had already walked out of the door. Chiisai sighed and slid back into the bed with a shiver. Well, it seemed like she was stuck here for a bit…What a way to start the day.

The next time she awoke, her head was swimming with images that didn't make sense, like there were layers upon layers of dreams writhing inside her mind. She turned her head to see a book laying on the edge of the bed. Curious and still groggy, Chiisai picked it up. From the cover, it looked like one of those cheesy romance stories…

Her brain seemed to snap in place. She had this book last night. That ninja, that guy with the farm-name, had suggested it. And then that man came…

She grabbed her head as the throbbing worsened. That man had bashed her head against the wall after she kicked him in the groin. He deserved more than a kick to what little manhood he had. Her eyes slowly opened, gazing down at the book. Why did it look brand new? Wasn't it rainy last night? The book should be soggy and ruined…

She shivered, but not from the cold this time. Oh, crap. The man had tried to...Had he…?

She lifted the covers up, gazing down at her lower extremities. She didn't hurt down there and there weren't any bandages. But she had been knocked out. What had happened? It didn't feel like…

Chiisai's throat constricted. Her eyes squeezed shut as she let out a sneeze, jerking her whole body forward. She fell back into the bed, the world spinning around her. Greaaat. The cold rain must have made her sick.

With a heavy groan, Chiisai turned to her side and curled up into a ball. She pulled the sheets with her, trying to gather as much warmth as she could before she succumbed back into sleep.

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Kakashi and the nurse stood by the door, watching Chiisai shiver under the covers.

"I'm afraid she got a cold from last night."

Kakashi nodded, watching Chiisai as her body rattled out a cough. The nurse followed his gaze. "Her memory is returning slowly. Sometimes it takes a while to get a response from her. Motor skills are fine. She's free to go, but she has no living relatives. I'm not sure if she can take care of herself in the state she's in. Most of the time she's confused and groggy, and that added with the cold…"

Kakashi nodded once more. "I'll take care of it."

The nurse blinked at him in surprise but didn't object. "I'll get the release papers then."

The ninja trudged in as the nurse left. He crouched down next to the bed, coming eye level with the sleeping woman. "Yo," he said as he poked her cheek.

Her body lurched again as she sneezed right in his face. This was one of the times he especially liked wearing a mask.

"Sorry," her voice was full of congestion as he wiped her spit off of him. Her eyes fluttered open, as if trying to focus on the person in front of her. "Farm-man, what're ya doin' here?" She raised a hand toward him, placing a hand on top of his head. "You real?"

The ninja let out a sigh as he gently took her hand from his messy hair. "I'm taking you home, Chiisai. Can you walk?" She blinked slowly at him, trying to take in his words. "I'm drugged up, farm-boy. What'd ya say?" Kakashi helped her sit upright in the bed, stopping her from swaying back and forth. "C'mon, drugged up girl."

"Hmmm," was her response. Did she even understand him? It seemed she did, because slowly but surely she collapsed against him. He pulled his arms under her legs, drawing her closer to him as he stood up.

"Waaaib," she called out. He halted, following the direction that her hand was reaching for. The ninja bent over far enough for Chiisai to grab a box of tissues and the book. "'Kay. Carry on, farm-man."

He shook his head, both amused and annoyed. Why did he offer to do this again? He barely knew her, and she thought he wasn't even real. Yet despite the oddities of the situation, Kakashi felt compelled to help this woman.

Maybe because, like him, all of her loved ones were gone.

The jonin felt her head turn away as she tried to hold in a cough. Her small body shuddered against him as he made his way to the front desk. She was absolutely pitiful.

He quickly signed the release papers, got her medical information, and asked for her address. Then he was off.

"So this is where you live?"

Chiisai forced the book into his hand as she shifted her weight against him. She pulled a key from her jacket pocket, reaching for the door. Kakashi quickly took the key with his free fingers and opened the door.

He strolled into the dark hall as he kicked the door back closed. He went down the other hall, finally coming to his destination. A black cat was curled on the pillow, raising its head as Kakashi approached it.

The cat gave a meow as it stepped onto the ledge above the bed. Kakashi drew the blanket back, placing the sick woman down. He took the box and the book from her, placing it next to the cat. Chiisai was almost asleep it seemed as he drew the covers over her. She let out another sneeze and groaned as she drew up into a ball.

The cat, concerned for its human, hopped unto the bed. It meowed once more as it rubbed the side of its face over her arm. Chiisai opened her eyes long enough to raise her arm. "Hey, Tori." The cat curled up against her, flicking its tail at her face as her arm fell back around the cat.

She named her cat bird? This woman was a bit peculiar.

Kakashi turned his gaze to the bookshelf above the bed, noting the amount of books that were stacked on top of each other and spilling into the floor. This woman really liked to read.

He peered closer, gazing a picture of a small family. Who he assumed to be her father, looked stern, though his face was set in a smile. Her mother seemed more sincere, with crinkles at the corner of her brown eyes as she grinned. Chiisai must have been the child in between them. What happened to them?

Her voice caught his attention, though it was more of a groan. "Thanks…farm-boy."

There was a small smile under his mask as he brushed her hair back from her bandaged face. "Just sleep."

"Just…don't dream with me, m'kay?"

"Hmmm?"

She let out a cough, making the cat look up at her. "Yeah…I mighb kill you, farm-boy…I don' wanna kill no farmer…"

"What do you mean?" But she was already asleep, her breathing turning into a soft snore. The cat raised its head as Kakashi passed them, its neon eyes staring him down. Tori's eyes unsettled Kakashi, as if it knew more than it perceived.

The cat lowered its head, no longer caring about the ninja in the room. Kakashi took advantage and walked down the hall, observing her home as he thought about Chiisai's words. Drugs did make people say odd things.

Kakashi came across the living room. A couch, coffee table, TV, and bookshelf were placed cozily on the hardwood floor but were littered with papers. Scolding her messiness, he strolled on into the kitchen, deciding to clean up a bit. He opened one of the bottom cabinets to find the cat food. He went ahead and filled the cat bowl before washing the dishes. After washing and drying them, Kakashi began rummaging through the cabinets, trying to find the proper place for the bowls.

He paused as he opened the top cabinet. He wasn't sure why he opened it, it didn't even look like Chiisai could even reach it. But hidden on the shelves were books. Judging by the lack of food in the pantry, it didn't seem logical that she would have so many old cookbooks. Curious, Kakashi took one out. There was no title on the cover. It seemed old, its spine worn and cracked. He opened it up and realized it was a journal. The handwriting was scratchy, as if I child had written it.

_Mom wanted me to record my dreams, so I gess Ill start. I try teling her how reel they are, but she just says I'm just over imajnativ. But I no. These aren't my dreems._

_Last night I dreemed I was somone else. He was a boy around my age, and evrything I saw was oranj. I found out later he or me was wearing gogles. He was dansing with a brown hared gurl with purpel on her face. He was so hapy, he liked her a lot. He thought he was finaly good enoff for her. But then this other boy came walking by with silver hare and a meen look The girl stoped dancing with me and went to the boy. They both walked away togothar leeving me sad. Not mater how hard I tryed, I couldn't cacth up to them. I thouhgt she had finaly notised me, finaly saw that I was beter than that boy._

_Then the Uchihah' symbol apearred above me, coming to life. It startd yeling, "Wake up gogle face! You're a Uchiha, born to be awsum! You an awsum ninja! Wake up that Sharringun! Wake that awsum up! WAKE UP!"_

_Then I woke up with anothar hedacke. That wasn't my dreem. I dont know these peoples. Why am I dreeming somone elses dreems? My head wont stop herting._

Kakashi could no longer read. His hands were trembling, making the book tremble with them. No, it couldn't be. He stared down at the page, not believing what he was seeing. This had to be Chiisai's.

But…What she was describing…

Kakashi slammed the journal closed, letting it drop on the counter. His heart was beating so fast. Kakashi didn't understand. Chiisai dreamed Obito's dream? What was happening?

_"Don't dream with me, farm boy…I mighb kill you."_

Kakashi heard a hiss behind him. He turned to see Tori, back arched and white feet baring claws. Its eyes seemed to glow, narrowing at the jonin. Swiftly, Kakashi placed the journal in his pocket. He needed more information. He straightened, lifted a hand, and disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving the cat behind.


	3. Farmers Are Bad Snoopers

_* Chiisai has a cold, so everything is written as she would probably pronounce it!*_

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Chiisai woke up with her stomach growling, making her even more nauseous. Tori sat on top of her as if he had dominion over her and the whole room. He meowed down at her impatiently and pawed at her face. Annoyed, the woman rolled over, knocking the cat off. She placed a hand on the night stand, trying half-heartedly find the lamp switch.

She found paper underneath her hand. She picked it up, turning it sideways so she wouldn't have to move.

_Went to get medicine and bandages. Food on stove. Don't do anything stupid._

_\- Farm Boy_

She dropped the paper back on the nightstand with a moan. It even hurt to read. At least Farm Boy wasn't a dream. Slowly, she dragged herself out of bed, forcing the cat to move.

"Meeeooow."

Chiisai half stumbled over the cat and trudged towards the bathroom. She felt like she weighed as much as a tailed-beast. Her hand felt for the light, not bothering to look as she eventually flipped the switch on. Her eyes blinked a few times, adjusting to the brightness. Another groan escaped her as she looked in the mirror.

Her hair was everywhere, she was covered in bandages, and her nose was red. Circles hung below her eyes. She was a hideous mess. Nose running, her fingers found the toilet paper and tore a wad before blowing her nose. But that made the dizziness worse. Tired, hungry, and sore, Chiisai brushed her teeth and went to the bathroom before sticking tissue wads up each nostril.

She trudged back into her room to change. Struggling, Chiisai finally changed into warm flannel pajama pants and a sweatshirt. Tori meowed again beside her, trying to lead her to the kitchen.

Chiisai walked past the living room, stopped, and then peered back in before releasing a horrified scream.

Farm boy had cleaned. Everything was put away, even the books were alphabetized by author. How the hell was she supposed to find anything now? The bills were located halfway through the third pile, and now there weren't any piles at all. What kind of person would do such a thing?

Her stomach rumbled in impatience, and with a regretful groan she stumbled into the kitchen. The cat bowl was full and ramen sat on the stove. And everything was horribly, meticulously clean. Damn that farmer.

Ignoring the cat's consistent noises, Chiisai pulled out a bowl and got out some ramen. How did she get home again? She certainly didn't walk home. Farm Boy must have done that too.

The woman sat down at the table to indulge herself. The warmth felt good against her scratchy throat, though she couldn't really taste the ramen. She took a gulp of air when she was finished as the cat continued to meow.

Her eyes followed the sound to the top of the cabinets and she quickly decided to ignore him.

The cat meowed again, pawing at the wood. Tori kept going until Chiisai got up to put her bowl in the sink. She gazed up at the cabinet that was out of her reach.

"Ugghh…Pori. Wha do ya want?"

The cat pawed again, staring down at his human. Did Tori want her to look in the cabinet? Could Farm Boy, no, why would he open that cabinet? He did put the dirty dishes up though…

Fear set in as Chiisai climbed on top of the counter. She swayed, catching herself on the handle.

Don't do anything stupid, he had written. Well, it was too late for that. Adrenaline pumping through her sluggish body, Chiisai reached up and opened the cabinet. All of the books seemed to be intact. Just to be sure, she grabbed one.

At first glance, it didn't look disturbed. But then she took another journal out, the one beside it. This had a layer of dust. The first one however…Chiisai saw where dust should be, but none shown. Someone had been looking through it.

"Pori, you bootiful cat. Guard dis cabnet with your life."

She flung the journals back in, rage boiling in her sick body. These were her secrets, her personal demons. No one should ever read them. Chiisai had stopped those dreams a long time ago, and she didn't want them coming back.

"Thab Farm Boy, when I get my hanbs on him, I'll-"

"You'll what?"

"Augh!" She lost her balance, trying to reach for the cabinet handle. Unfortunately, she missed and she fell off the counter. Kakashi caught her before she hit the ground. He looked down at her with one eyebrow raised.

She tried to smile. "Uh, thanp him for mabing ramen…" And then she sneezed on him.

Kakashi stood there, holding the woman who had just sneezed on him yet again. "I thought I told you not to do anything stupid," his tone annoyed. He pulled her up with one hoist, letting her go as he swiped her spit off of him.

"Hey, why'd ya clean eberything for? I can't find anything now! How am I supposed ta live in this…this…orderliness?!"

Tori jumped off the cabinet, giving a hiss at Kakashi. The ninja ignored the cat and Chiisai as he placed a paper bag on the counter. "Here's your medicine. I'll show you how to re-bandage your wounds later."

His indifference made her angrier. "You can't just go into people's houses and clean eberything! It'll take weeks to geb this place back ta its original state!"

Without looking at her, he grabbed a tissue from the counter. "You need this."

She tried looking at her nose, but only managed to cross her eyes. Cursing her grogginess, she took the tissue and blew her nose. The world began to spin as she swayed. Blowing her nose felt as if her head was about to explode.

Kakashi sighed and stepped toward Chiisai. To her surprise, he scooped her up and carried her like a baby back to her room. He placed her on the bed, left, and came back with a glass of water and medicine.

"Take this and drink all of it," he commanded as he gave it to her. "You need fluids."

She did as he said, for her dizziness hadn't stopped. After the last gulp, she handed him the glass and asked softly, "Why are you helbing me, farm-boy?" Her head hurt every time she talked now.

Kakashi studied her for a moment. She really did look awful. Not to mention the drugs and grogginess making her act like a drunkard. He really didn't know the answer to her question, so he shrugged and said, "Someone's got to take care of you." He turned to leave the room.

Her tone was serious as she said, "I know you read it."

Kakashi stopped, lifting his head over his shoulder. For once, the woman's eyes were clear as night.

"Read what?" He asked nonchalantly.

"The dusb was gone." She pulled the covers over her as she let out a defeated cough. "Ib's a good thing you're a farmer and nob a ninja. You're a bad snooper."

He shook his head. If only she knew. "Is it true then?"

"Whab, Farm Boy?" She didn't hide her annoyance.

"You dream other people's dreams," his voice was hard.

She didn't respond at first, leaving a silence to hang with the tension.

"…Ib was."

"Was?"

She pulled the covers all the way over her head now. "Just sbop snoopin'! I canb think righb now! My head hurbs…"

Kakashi left her, slightly regretting pushing the question. He would have to wait until she got better to get answers it seemed.

Kakashi placed the glass in the sink, eyeing the cat that stood on top of the cabinet. The cat just stared at him before he began to lick his chest. Kakashi sighed again as he put up the items in the bag. This apartment stunk of secrets, and Kakashi was going to find every last one of them.

He had sorted through her family's files. Her parents had died a week apart, both in a coma. It happened when Chiisai was a teenager- her mother through attempted suicide, and her father's coma unknown.

The phone rang, cutting off his thoughts. After a minute of debating, he grabbed the phone.

"Hello? Chiisai?" A male voice asked quickly.

"…She's not available right now."

"Oh," there was an embarrassed cough. "Is she alright? She didn't come in to work today. Wait, who is this?"

"This is Kakashi speaking. Chiisai is sick at the moment. I'm afraid she forgot to call."

"Sick? Is she alright?" The man's words were rushed. "Why are you at her apartment?" Anger showed in his tone. "How does she know you?"

Kakashi scratched his head, figuring how much he could say to her supposed coworker. "Well, she was assaulted the other night, and I happened to be walking by. I took her to the hospital. I'm afraid she won't be able to come into work this week."

"Assaulted?! I thought you said she was sick? You lying bastard, I'm coming over."

Kakashi groaned inwardly. "Sir, she is sick. But she was also-"

There was a click as the man hung up. Kakashi put the phone back down, wanting to bang his head against a wall. Now he had another person to deal with. With nothing else to do, Kakashi walked over to the bookshelf, looking for the familiar book he had seen while reorganizing. Satisfied, Kakashi grabbed the first volume of the Icha Icha series and opened it to the first page.

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It was the persistent knocking that woke her. For a moment, she thought it might just be the throbbing against her head. But then she heard a shout.

"Uuughh." She pulled the covers back, knowing that this person wouldn't be going away. Was it already night time? Crap, she missed work. That's right, she worked at the library.

The door opened. Voices filled the hall, their footsteps becoming louder until the two men were in her room.

"Holy shit." The brunette made his way to her, not believe what he was seeing. She groaned and muttered, "I forgob I had a job, Koshuu."

"I think this is the first time you've ever missed work," he replied. He crouched down beside the bed and wiped her hair back. "You had us all scared. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Ugh…." Chiisai didn't bother swatting his hand away. "I'm on drugs."

"On drugs?" Koshuu half joked, "Have you been on depressants this whole time? No wonder you don't talk to anyone."

"No! I don' do drugs, I'm on 'em! I gobba colb and a concussion…right?" She blinked at Kakashi behind Koshuu, who nodded. Koshuu turned to Kakashi, not sure if could trust him. "What happened?"

"Yeah, whab happened?" Chiisai asked before shuddering into a cough.

"You were attacked last night around nine o'clock. You kicked him in the groin, and in response he bashed your head against the wall," his voice was calm. "I stopped him before…" He stopped, gazing at her bruised and bandaged face. "I brought you to the hospital in the rain, which later caused your cold to form. Your memory has been on and off, but you'll most likely recover in a week or so."

"Well, ab leasb I bried ta defend myself," she muttered.

Koshuu's hands were clenched in fists. "What happened to her attacker?"

Kakashi was the only calm one in the room it seemed. "He's in custody and has already confessed."

"See? Nobbin' ta worry 'bout."

"Really?" Koshuu turned to Chiisai. "You were attacked. You have a concussion and you're sick as a dog. Does that sound like nothing to worry about?"

She glared at her coworker and snapped back, "Just go join book-organizer Farm Boy ober there and leave me alone!"

Kakashi, shaking his head, said, "Don't take it personally. The drugs make her cranky."

"She's usually cranky anyway," Koshuu replied blandly. He bent down next to the bed, worry etched across his face. "You're going to be out at least a week, aren't you?

Her eyes brightened for a moment. "Geb da new girl ta do it. Make sure she does my storybime," she smiled mischievously.

Koshuu gave a soft laugh. "You really hate that girl, don't you?"

"She mabes me socialize. So yes, I habe her."

"Okay, Ms. Silent. Get better, okay? I'll be back to check on you."

She pulled the covers over her head and mumbled, "Don't bother. Thab's just more socializing."

Koshuu shook his head with a smile before turning to leave. Kakashi followed him to the door.

"Take care of her," Koshuu requested sternly. Kakashi nodded silently as he observed the man's territorial presence.

The brunette shifted his gaze and said, "She's been through a lot. We're worried about her. She spends most of her time reading and rarely goes out anymore. We all love her down at library…"

Kakashi looked at him, wondering why this man was telling him all of this. Koshuu seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he abruptly said his farewell and fled down the hall.

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"How does it look?" Chiisai blinked down at Kakashi as he removed the bandages. Her forehead was swollen, bruised, and still oozing blood, though not as much as before.

"It looks bad, huh?" She was sitting on the toilet seat with Kakashi crouching in front of her. Every now and then he placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her swaying form.

Kakashi met her gaze, hesitant as he removed the last bandage around her head. "I've seen worse."

"You had brouble at the farm?" She was almost a child in the way she was acting. He noticed her cringing as he pressed a cold washcloth on her head.

He shook his head and sighed, "I'm a ninja, remember?"

Chiisai looked at his clothing, pressing her hands against his chest. "Oh. I guess bat explains the vesp. Whab's your name again?"

With his free hand, he removed her hands from him. "Hatake Kakashi." This was like babysitting a child. Why was he helping her again? What made him want to do this?

She blinked slowly, giving a wince as he gently pressed harder on her forehead. "I heard bat name before. You were red in my dreams."

That caught his attention. He removed the cloth and laid it back on the sink. He tilted his head up, trying to catch Chiisai's eyes. "I was red in your dreams?"

She nodded, lowering her head slowly so that their faces were inches apart. "Yeah." Her hand reached up as her fingers grazed the cloth covering his eye. "Red here…" Her other hand found his right hand, her fingers intertwining with his. "…And red here."

Kakashi was frozen for a moment, his mind flashing back to the moments of his comrades' deaths. The nightmares haunted him for years after, even to this day. The fact that someone else had seen them, had known what he dreamed…

He then noticed how close they were to each other. Her hands still lingered on his eye and hand, feeling the pressure of her touch through the cloth. Her face was so close to his, though swollen and scratched as it was. He met her eyes, which were half dazed under her long eyelashes.

Then her head snapped forward, colliding with his as she sneezed. Her forehead slammed into the metal on his headband. He caught her as she slid off the seat, her body becoming limp in his arms.

"Yo, Chiisai." Her forehead was bleeding now, running down her face. Kakashi grabbed the cloth again, lifted her hair back, and pressed the washcloth to her forehead. "Chiisai."

He shifted, half cradling her in his arms. Finally, she let out a soft moan. Her eyes slowly fluttered open. "Wha-Who're you guys?"

Great.

She lifted her hand towards him and asked, "You real?"

Chiisai shoved the palm of her hand into his face, thrusting his head up. Where did she get the energy to do that? Agitated, Kakashi pulled her hand back down. This was like dealing with Naruto.

"Hold still. You're bleeding."

"So yourrreal?" Her hands were on his face again. He didn't even bother anymore.

But then, her fingers curled around his mask and pulled it down. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds, both startled at what she had done. She even pulled down the mask underneath the mask.

"You hab a nose." Her fingers traced over his face, her touch making him go rigid. He had forgotten…When was the last time someone had seen his face, let alone touched it?

She squinted up at him as if trying to focus on something important. "And you gob libs." Her thumb traced over his lips briefly before she cringed and dropped her hand.

She was holding her head with her other hand, staining her skin red. Her eyes fluttered back closed as she whimpered, "It hurbs…"

Kakashi tended her wounds, making sure the bleeding had stopped before wrapping her forehead in bandages. Her hair was everywhere it seemed, but he made no move to fix it. Her eyebrows furrowed as he lifted her back up. She curled into him with a shiver. Slowly, he carried Chiisai back to bed, concern growing in the back of his mind. Chiisai couldn't take care of herself, especially at this rate. But Kakashi had a mission in a few days…

The ninja tucked her in while the cat lounged into the bedroom. Upon seeing his human, Tori hopped on the bed. He meowed several times, ignoring Kakashi as he rubbed his face against Chiisai's cheek. But her heavy breathing was the only response. Frustrated, the cat pressed his face into the side of hers, but she still didn't move. Switching tactics, Tori curled up on her chest. His glowing eyes squinted at Kakashi before he went to sleep.

Kakashi trudged back to the bathroom to clean up the mess. He threw the dirty bandages away, and when finding the hamper, threw the bloody cloth on top of a towel. Red glinted as he turned. Looking in the mirror, Kakashi saw blood staining the symbol on his headband. He stared at it, remembering Chiisai's words.

_You were red in my dreams._

Chiisai knew far too much about him. She probably knew far too much about every villager in Konoha. If she fell into the wrong hands...

That couldn't happen.


	4. Dreams And Devourers

She didn't really know what time it was, or if time existed. She wondered in and out of consciousness, though she didn't even know it, nor did she care. Sometimes, she would hear voices, though she couldn't make out any words. Everything seemed out of reach, but this oblivion became her bliss. In this floating darkness, she found comfort and didn't know pain.

But then the dreams came.

She had slipped into someone else's dream, unaware in her sick state. Her mind had no guards or protections to keep her away, no mental barriers they had set up long ago. Now there was an open plain, and her mind was eager to explore all of it, leaving no stone unturned.

This dream brought tears. Tears of anger and sadness, desperation and hope. He was gone, now an enemy of the village. The dark headed boy she had spent so much time with on missions, whose skills and mystery rose above all others, had left her there on a bench. She was alone, and he was gone. But his last words to her were echoing from around, haunting her every move.

"Thank you."

"Sakura…Thank you."

"Thank…"

Another dream came. He had finally made the best ramen ever in existence. He had aged like fine wine, and his talents had finally seeped into his cooking. People flocked from all around to eat his ramen. The Hokage had even declared his ramen as the official food of Konoha. There was a medal and flowers and everyone was there, including the daimyo. The blonde boy was there too, grinning up at him. He gave him a thumbs up as he gobbled two bowls of ramen at once. It was raining ramen, and everyone rejoiced. Ramen was the world.

The dreams came throughout the night, never relenting as Chiisai lay limp under the sheets. When would it end? She was tired of people's dreams, tired of seeing their desires and fears. These weren't hers, and she didn't want them.

The nightmares were the worst. She wasn't only observing them, she was in them. Everything the dreamer felt, she felt. It was like she was sucking up the terror, absorbing all of their fears . Would it ever stop? Did this cycle ever end?

It was the screaming that woke her.

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Kakashi rushed into her bedroom, only stopping when he saw her.

Chiisai was curled into a ball, her hands against her bandaged head as a scream rippled through her. Tori stood next to her, trying to comfort her by rubbing himself against her.

Kakashi rushed over, yelling her name as he tried to wake her. He gently took hold of her shoulder, slightly shaking her as her screams turned into a wail.

Tori took matters into his own paws. His claws extended, quickly swiping his human's forearm. Three red lines appeared on her skin, but the method worked.

Chiisai's eyes flew open, her screaming suddenly becoming a whimper. Her breathing became rugged as she looked up at Kakashi.

"It's okay," he reassured her. "It's alright, Chiisai." He had to make sure she remained calm. Her eyes widened and she shook her head in distraught. She grabbed her head, cringing and twisting her feet under the covers. Kakashi brushed her hair back from her face, trying to soothe her as he sat down beside her. Sweat trickled down the side of her face. "What happened?"

She shook her head again but didn't reply.

"Chiisai, do you remember my name?" He tried to distract her. She should be complaining…Or sneezing.

Her eyes squeezed shut. With barely a whisper, she replied, "F-farm Boy…"

"Good. But do you know my real name?" It took her a few moments to reply.

"Ka….ka…kashi…."

"Yes. Now, do you know your name?"

She glared at him and shot back, "I'm not tha stupid," she tried to rebuttal but it ended up in a cough. Tori nestled beside her.

The ninja let out a heavy sigh as he got a tissue and wiped her runny nose. What was he going to do with this girl? "Then tell me what happened," he said evenly. She turned her head away, not meeting Kakashi's intimidating eye. He sat there, a looming shadow over Chiisai as she tried to make sense of her jumbled thoughts. But she was in so much pain. She couldn't take it, she couldn't even think.

With her eyes trained at the wall, Chiisai opened her mouth. Her words were slow and barely audible. "There were so many…I was feeling whab they felb. He said he fixed ib. He lied. My head's gonna explode. Ib hurbs…"

"He? He who?"

"The Third…"

He let the words sink in. She had dreamed others' dreams. And the Third Hokage…He had known. What had he done?

Chiisai pulled her body tighter against her as she shuddered out a cough. Her body felt like it was sinking deeper and deeper into the ground. So much pain…

"You need to see a medic," Kakashi said as he stood up. When she didn't reply, Kakashi pulled the covers back, making Tori meow in frustration.

"Chiisai."

Now she didn't move. Kakashi put a hand on her shoulder, but her body was tense and wouldn't yield to his pull. He sighed once more. He scooped her up yet again, hoping that this wouldn't become a habit. Worry shot through him when he saw her face contorted with pain as tears streamed down her bandaged cheek. This was the first time he had seen her cry. Even when she was attacked, she had shown no fear.

He placed his hand under her thighs, holding her up as her head fell against his shoulder. Her fingers dug into his clothing, a whimper escaping her throat.

"C'mon, I'm taking you back to the hospital."

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_After all these years, he was finally free. Her screams were music to his ears, beckoning him to come and devour the dreams that were haunting her. The power he had been craving for so long had finally resurfaced, finally come to light. Her abilities were still raw, still untamed by such a feeble spirit._

_It could feel others out there desiring her power. But they were naïve. They knew so little, yet their hearts were already thirsting for it._

_But that was all about to change. He was the Dream Devourer, not she. He would take control of every dream. He would be the master of their minds, the tamer of nightmares. Yes, he would have the power; HE would weave their dreams throughout eternity…And he would finally have his revenge on the one that had taken everything away from him._

_They would call him the Baku, and they would all bow down to him._

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"You should have brought her earlier, Kakashi-sensei."

"I wasn't aware of how bad the situation was."

Sakura turned towards the unconscious Chiisai as her hands glowed green. "She's in a lot of pain. I can heal the wounds, but the concussion will still take more time."

Kakashi nodded to his former student. "Thank you."

The girl nodded with a smile before attending to Chiisai. Kakashi determined she was in good hands and turned to leave. "I'll be back in a bit. You are the only one allowed to see her."

The pink-haired girl nodded as Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

He appeared outside the Hokage's office. He heard papers flying across the room as Lady Tsunade began shouting. He strolled on in without even knocking.

"NO MORE PAPERWORK! I SWEAR, IF I HAVE TO SIGN ONE MORE PIECE OF PAPER, I'LL KNOCK THIS WHOLE BUILDING DOWN IN ONE PUNCH!"

"Yo."

Both of the women turned to Kakashi. Tsunade lowered her raised fist, trying to appear less violent then she felt.

"Kakashi," she nodded, allowing him to speak. Shizune gave out a sigh of relief and began to pick up the papers.

Kakashi shoved a hand in his pouch and pulled out a worn journal. He handed it to the Hokage, who took it with a frown. Upon reading it, her eyebrows furrowed more with each sentence. She looked up at him, her brown eyes piercing his. "What is this?"

"It's a dream journal that belongs to a librarian."

Tsunade flipped through the book in her hand. "These are…dreams."

"She has over ten years' worth of them written in journals. They're dreams from everyone in the village, from the Third Hokage to Orochimaru."

Her eyes widened. "Does anyone know about this?"

"Not that I am aware of, but I believe she can manipulate dreams as well."

"Manipulate? Who is she? A power like that…"

"Karasu Chiisai, a woman who works at the library."

"Karasu…" the blonde muttered. "I'm familiar with that name."

"Her parents both slipped into a coma…died a week apart twelve years ago."

She paused. "That's right. I was the one that examined them. That was peculiar case, I believe. You think Chiisai had something to do with this?"

He nodded. "Hai. I believe the Third knew about her."

The woman nodded, meeting Kakashi's eye briefly before looking back at the journal. "He did have her taken into questioning. Shizune," she turned to her assistant. "Get me the Karasu case file!"

The brunette nodded, and scurried out with the pig in her arms.

Lady Tsunade turned back to the jonin. "You are sure no one knows about this?"

Kakashi nodded.

"Bring her in. If what you say is true, then she could be a help to the village."

He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "That might be a problem."

She lifted an eyebrow at him. "Explain."

"Currently, she has a concussion along with a cold. I just dropped her off at the hospital." He shook his head. "She can barely walk, think, or move. I'm afraid in her condition, she says whatever comes to mind."

"If she has no filter, then what's stopping her from telling the world what she can do?"

"Well, currently she's unconscious. Sakura is attending to her."

With a nod, she replied, "It seems this situation takes precedence over your current mission."

Kakashi nodded, though he was a bit disappointed. He didn't think he could take much more of this babysitting, no matter how cute Chiisai was. In fact, he'd rather have a challenge with Gai if it helped him escape this new task.

"She needs to be protected. If word gets out, everyone will be after her. Understood?"

"Hai," He said without emotion.

Her eyes traveled back down to the journal. "Have you read through all of these?"

"No."

"If we had some of this knowledge beforehand…" Her eyes suddenly narrowed as she came across a page. "This is about me." Her knuckles turned white against the notebook as her face grew red. "JARAIYA!" Her hand turned into a fist. She threw the notebook at Kakashi, who caught it with one hand. "WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HIM…" Her fist came down on her desk, breaking it in half with a loud crack.

Kakashi turned, deciding now would be a good time to leave. He suddenly felt glad that Jaraiya was gone training Naruto.

Hopefully she wouldn't kill him when he returned.

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"Is this true?" The older man looked down at the masked ninja.

"It has yet to be confirmed."

Danzo nodded, staring down at the file in front of him. The woman in the picture seemed quite ordinary. She was a librarian, a mere villager who had no skills or talents. At least, not that he was aware of…

"Observe her. We need more information before we can take action."

"Hai." The ninja disappeared, leaving Danzo alone.

This woman had darkness lurking within her, locked deep within the recesses of her mind. And he was going to make sure it surfaced by any means necessary…

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"Kakashi-sensei, can I speak to you?"

Kakashi nodded, following her to the corner of the room. Sakura tilted her head up, her voice at a whisper.

"This woman knew who I was, though we never met. I told her to go back to sleep, but then…she told me my dreams. She…knew about…" Sakura shut her eyes, trying to fight back tears. "She knew the last words he said to me, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi laid his hands on her shoulders. "Have you told anyone else about this?"

She shook her head.

He dropped his hands and replied, "Good. No one should know."

Sakura nodded.

"Whad're you all talking about o'er there? ACCHOOO!" Chiisai fell off the bed with a bloodcurdling sneeze. Both Kakashi and Sakura bent over her.

"Sorry," Sakura apologized. "My medical ninjutsu can't cure a common cold."

"How's her concussion?"

"I did my best. I'm still in training though, so it might not be fully healed yet." She frowned. "Her chakra is still jumbled around her frontal lobe…I'm not sure why."

"Farm Boy, you have a twin?" She blinked up at them.

"Okay, maybe a bit more than jumbled."

Kakashi lifted Chiisai back up, grabbing a tissue for her runny nose. "Did you give her any medication?"

Shaking her head, she replied, "No, she's just loopy. She kinda reminds me of Naruto."

They looked back down at Chiisai, but she was already snoring in his arms.

IIIII

_NOTE: Yo, please give some feedback if you can! I'd love some critiques and I'd really appreciate it! Lol, I appreciate just you reading my fanfic actually! :)_

_Danzo will be coming in much much later, but I'd thought I'd go ahead and introduce him._


	5. The Nightmare

"Yeah, Koshuu. I'm alright." Chiisai sat on the bed, her feet Indian style. She already wrapped the phone cord around her twice while trying to get comfortable. The rest of the cord was stretched around her arm and fingers.

"Of course the new girl'd enjoy it. She's too nice."

Kakashi sat on the other end of the bed. In his hand was a novel, though he was paying more attention to their conversation. Tori sat in between them, trying to catch his tail.

"Naw, don'b come over. I can only handle one OCD male at a time. Besides, these drugs make me loopy." She gave a yawn and went on. "Yeah, Farm Boy's with me on the bed." She switched positions, using her foot to stretch the cord. "Stop yellin', Koshuu. He's jus' reading his sex book."

The ninja bolted out of the bed, much to Chiisai's surprise. As Koshuu was yelling through the phone, Kakashi lifted his hand. "Give me the phone."

"No," she replied with a scold. Kakashi hand reached out, but the sick woman moved the phone away from his reach. She was just entangling herself even more. Annoyed, Kakashi finally grabbed it, pulling it to his ear. As he pulled, the cord tightened around Chiisai, who cried out as she slipped off the bed.

Kakashi caught her as the phone tumbled out of his hand. "What was that?" Koshuu's voice rattled through the device. "What was that sound?"

"I'll call ya back," she muttered. "I'm bied up."

As Koshuu yelled again, Chiisai ended the call with her free hand, though it took two tries. Tori looked down from the bed, letting out a meow.

Kakashi sighed to himself. "The damage you cause in such a short time…"

She let out a sleepy laugh as her hair fell over her face. "I gob beaben by a phone."

He ignored her delusional remark and began untangling the woman. She blinked up at him and said, "You're kinda weird lookin'. How old are ya?"

"Twenty nine." Her eyes widened as she tried to move under the cord. "But you're hair's so whibe!"

"It's hereditary. Hold still." Kakashi finally finished and placed the phone back on the receiver.

"Ohhh, genebics." She rose into a sitting position, her hair still over her face. "I gob my hair from my dad. I don' like ib though."

He frowned at her, confused over how a woman could be insecure about her hair. Kakashi crouched down in front of her, brushing her hair out of her face with his hand. "You're hair's quite nice, Chiisai."

"My daddy was mean. Was your daddy mean?" She blinked up at him. He paused for a minute, his hand still against the side of her face. Finally, with his eye downcast, he whispered, "No…My father was a great man." He scooped Chiisai up then, her arms wound around his neck. Spending time with her had dulled his senses it seemed. He was ninja, not a nanny. This girl was distracting, a growing nuisance, he told himself. "Let's get you back in bed."

"Thab's nice," she replied as he placed her down on the covers. "I wish my dad was like thab. He bold me boo never brusb a ninja. He was a ninja." she ended with a hard cough. "He and mom used ta lock me in my room and yell at me." She sniffled, "I feel all icky."

Kakashi turned away with Tori at his heels. "I'll get you something to drink."

He quickly came back, her words stuck in his head. They locked her in her room... Upon seeing Chiisai, his face quickly turned red. "What are you doing?" He placed the drink down, his eye startled by the scene before him.

"I'm gonna shower, duh." Her hands were behind her back, trying to find the clasp to her bra as her hair fell over her face. He noticed rough lines running across her sides, old scars that showed evidence of harm. Kakashi stepped over her discard clothes and wound his hands around her arms, forcing her to stop stripping. "Maybe you should go to the bathroom first," he suggested.

"Naah," she sniffled, "I'm good."

"No, I insist." Before she could complain, he hoisted her over his shoulder and headed to the bathroom. His fingers dug into her bare skin, pressing against the rough scars. The ninja quickly went into the bathroom, trying not to shove her in there as he closed the door shut. He pressed his back against the wood, releasing a long exhale.

There was a knock from the other side. "Clothes..."

"Uh, just stay inside. I'll get them."

There was silence. She must have been okay with it, because the shower was turned on. Trudging back into her bedroom, Kakashi stood in front of her drawers. Not only had he snooped through her kitchen, now he was snooping through her wardrobe.

He went through the drawers, grabbing whatever baggy clothes that were flung half-hazardly in. Her undergarments were another matter. So the librarian had a wild side? Interesting, he noted. He threw the stringed thing back in, getting a more modest piece and bra.

Back at the bathroom again, Kakashi gave a knock. "Chiisai. I'm leaving your clothes at the door." God, he really was turning into a nanny.

She didn't respond.

He knocked again as Tori trotted up. "Chiisai?"

Worry began to creep up on him. Did she slip and hit her head? She could barely stand as it was. Knowing Chiisai, it really seemed possible that she could drown in her own bathwater.

When no response came, Kakashi finally opened the door with Tori following him in.

"Chiisai?"

Steam filled the room. He heard no movement as he laid her clothes on the sink. Why was the shower curtain so solid? He couldn't even see her shadow. Kakashi's hand halted in front of the curtain, temptation hovering at the edge of his fingertips. Surely he wasn't as perverted as his student's claimed…Of course, what if she was lying unconscious with her head bust open?

Thankfully, he heard her feet squeak against the tile. He let go of the curtain with a sigh of relief. Then Chiisai pulled the curtain back, her body dripping water as she faced the ninja.

Kakashi stood there frozen. Her hair was plastered to her face, suds coming off of her wet skin.

She blinked at him, obviously still half asleep. She frowned and muttered, "Your face looks like a tomato." Then she flung the curtain closed, leaving Kakashi gaping at where her naked body once stood.

He blinked at the curtain, debating whether that had just happened. He wasn't sure how long it took before he was able to move again. Eventually, the jonin found himself in the kitchen, where he downed several glasses of water.

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"I can finally breathe out of my nose. Did it always feel like this?"

Kakashi sat at the table, glancing at Chiisai as she took a deep breath. She did look better, especially now that her wounds were healed. Her hair was straight and brushed, her nose no longer bright red. It was the first time he'd seen her smile in six days, and what a long six days it had been. After the shower incident (which she had no memory of), he had called Koshuu to come and stay with her the rest of the day. And when Kakashi came back, he made sure to keep his distance, focusing more on the journals in the cabinet when Chiisai slept. And she slept a lot.

What he found most peculiar about the journals was that some dreams had been blotted out. Pages were torn out here or there. It seemed someone else had already discovered these journals long ago, making sure they didn't leak out certain information…

He shook his head, mostly for shaking his thoughts out. "You're still sick though."

Her head dropped, her excitement now dissipated. "Yeah…I know."

"Here," the ninja stood up to pour her a glass of orange juice. "You still need fluids."

She took the glass from him. "Thanks."

Kakashi let out a sigh as he put the juice back in the fridge. "So how much do you remember?"

"Most of my memories have come back", she frowned. "Like when I was five, I broke my arm trying to fly out of a tree." She took a sip.

He raised an eyebrow in her direction. At least her mind was finally functioning.

He rephrased the question. "How much do you remember from this week?" With that, she took a gulp of juice. Kakashi watched her, waiting patiently as she tried to avoid answering.

"Uh, I have a headache. Can we do this later?"

"Hmm, I'm afraid not."

He stood above her, his intimidating eye glaring down at her. Fear flicked through her for a second. She didn't realize how tall he was, how easily he could overcome her…

She suddenly took a step back, her knuckles turning white against the counter. "I was attacked…In an alley. And…And…" Her eyes glanced up at him, trying to search for answers. Her fingers went up to her face, tracing her forehead. "What happened?" She closed her eyes, grabbing her head as she leaned on the counter. "My face should have wounds. Was it a dream? A dream…"

Her eyes bolted open. She turned away from Kakashi and began down the hall. Kakashi followed behind, quietly observing her confusion.

Chiisai was in her room. She sat in front of Tori, extending her hand. The black cat blinked at it. He ignored her hand and decided to walk up to Kakashi. He rubbed up against Kakashi's leg and let out a purr.

That seemed to calm her down. "It looks like Tori finally likes you."

He ignored the comment and proceeded to say, "You thought you were dreaming."

She didn't look at him. "Sometimes they're so real you forget you're in reality when you wake up."

"Especially if you dream other people's dreams…"

She turned to him then, eyeing him suspiciously. He noticed her fingers tense, her body rigid.

"…That's a pretty odd thing to say."

Kakashi remained still and replied, "I know you dream other people's dreams, Chiisai."

"And why would you think that, all-knowing ninja?" She folded her arms. "How do you know?"

He shoved his hands in his pockets. "You've been sick these past few days. I'm afraid you've said a lot more than you thought."

"How do you know I wasn't just saying odd things that the average person with a cold and concussion would say? Because I bet they say some pretty weird things…" Her voice was hard as if she was already in self-defense. Kakashi, getting tired of her games, pulled out her journal and tossed it on the bed. She stared at it for a moment. "That's…" She glared at him now, bolting out of the bed. "I guess that explains why you'd help a total stranger, huh? What, do you plan on using me for the village?" She jabbed a finger in his direction as she marched towards him. "You don't know a thing! Just because you're a ninja doesn't mean-"

Chiisai foot slid, causing her to faceplant unto the floor. Kakashi crouched down beside her, but took no action in helping her up.

"Chiisai."

"Shuttup," she groaned into the floorboards.

Kakashi placed a hand on the back of her sweatshirt and pulled her up. They met at eye level just as she sneezed.

"I hope you get my cold," She glared at him. Kakashi let go of her and wiped his face. Some things never changed. They both stood up. Her knee aimed for his groin, but he easily deflected it.

He sighed and muttered, "Is that the only move you know?"

She was obviously no match for the ninja. He caught her by both wrists as he stared down at her. Her breathing was heavy, eyes hard as she glared at him. She yanked away, but Kakashi's grip was firm.

Since she couldn't physically barrage him she cried, "What, did you decide to nurture me back to health after you found out I could be of some use?! I bet you told the Hokage too! Do you think you all could make me do that again?" She was still trying to punch him, her arms shaking under Kakashi's grasp. "It was sealed for a reason! You're just like my parents! Never trust a ninja!"

Kakashi stood their silently, studying her as she bombarded him with her anger again and again.

"And I'm sure you found so much enjoyment when I needed to change clothes! What guy wouldn't take advantage of a sick girl?! I'm sure a ninja who reads Icha Icha has great morals!" She yelled through angry tears. "How dare you read my journals! What the hell is wrong with you, dammit?!"

"Calm down," he said. Maybe telling her this so soon had been a mistake. But the information she had released had the wheels in his head turning. So the Hokage had known about her, used her for some purpose, and then sealed her again…

"Let me go!"

"Only after you calm down." His voice was firm. "You're acting like a five year old."

She stared at his hands around her wrist, her anger making her shake. Her voice was slow and menacing, something that surprised Kakashi. "If you don't let me go, I swear I'll make your dreams more of a hell than they already are, ninja."

He was silent for a moment, his hard eye watching her. Slowly, he loosened his grip and turned away.

"My dreams are already in the deepest pits of hell," he replied with bitterness. "Nothing you can do will make it worse."

And with that, he was gone, leaving her angry and alone.

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_Blood dribbled out of her mouth as her eyes shown wide. Her body began to shudder around his arm which was stuck inside her body. Her black eyes gaped up at him, her fingers slowly encircling around his arm. But this woman's hair was long, her black eyes beautiful and widening as she parted her lips._

"_F-farm Boy…"_

"_Chiisai!"_

_She tried to smile up at him, but only began coughing up blood. Kakashi watched in horror, his eyes brimmed with tears. He quickly grabbed her by the shoulder, yanking his arm out. It was covered in her blood._

_Kakashi caught her as she crumpled, holding her tiny frame against his body. Her hand found his, and she slowly intertwined her fingers with his. "Red…here…" Her eyes wondered to his face, her other hand raising up and pulling his headband up. "And red here." His eye opened, his Sharingan spinning into place as her hand went limp. He grabbed a hold of it, squeezing her hand as her eyes stared blankly ahead._

"_Ch-Chiisai…" He brushed a strand of her hair back, leaving a streak of blood across her face._

_Her body began to shimmer, turning into sparkling dust as she gave him one last smile. Kakashi tried to grab hold of her, to make her hold on longer. She wasn't supposed to die. This wasn't happening. No, not like this. Not again!_

_His hands were now holding nothing but air now. The sparkling particles floated around him, shimmering as they fell to the ground. From them, tulips began to sprout up, rising to his knees as he bolted up. What was happening?_

_He turned around, the ground was now covered with blossoming red flowers._

_But something was wrong. Kakashi turned back at the ready, but stood aghast to see her standing 10 feet away._

_His mouth was stuck, trying to suppress the emotions as realization sank in. She stood still, her eyes trailed at him as his red eye saw her chakra. She seemed so real…_

_He stepped towards her, trying to keep his emotions reigned in. "I'm dreaming."_

"_Yes."_

"_Did you make me dream that?"_

_She shifted her gaze. "What I said earlier was bluff. I don't like nightmares, and I wanted yours to go away."_

"_So you can manipulate dreams," he replied. Was she using a jutsu? Or was this power of hers natural?_

_Her hand sat on her hip, her face set in a frown. "Well, you make it sound bad when you say it like that. I only change it if the dreamer is having a nightmare…Well, I absorb the nightmare. It's been a really long time. By the way," she shifted her feet, "I stopped by to tell you something."_

"_Stopped by?"_

_Her fingers pushed her hair back. "Look, something happened the night I was attacked. I think the concussion broke the seal that was on my mind. I'm not supposed to be able to do this anymore. I'm still pissed at you, but I guess you're the only one who can help. Heck, you're the only one who knows."_

"_The Third Hokage sealed you to repress your abilities." Something awful must have happened to reseal a power like that._

_She waved a hand as she walked towards him. "Yah, yah, that's not important." Then she stopped and blinked. "Well, I guess it is." With another wave of a hand, she continued. "Okay, the fact is, I need it resealed or something bad is going to happen."_

"_Explain bad."_

_Then they both felt it. A dark presence was in his mind, crawling its way toward them as if it were a spider rushing towards prey caught in its a web. It was massive, a twisting blob of oily darkness. No eyes, no mouth to be seen; just dark spindles bursting from its surface, shooting towards them at an alarming speed._

_Her eyes wide, Chiisai pointed at the monster. "That kind of bad."_

_Kakashi grabbed her, pushing her out of the way as the darkness shot out at them._ "_What the hell is that?"_

"_It's a long story."_

"_Then care to summarize?" He grabbed her again, carrying her away from the predator rushing at them._

"_It's why my powers were sealed. Not sure what it is, but it's real. Here, put me down."_

_Kakashi hesitantly abided. He watched as she extended her arms. A wall of fire appeared in front of them, forming a blockade against the monster._

"_Looks like I'm getting the hang of this again!" She smiled triumphantly._

"_Celebrate later," he replied as he grabbed her wrist._

_The monster reached through the barrier, slowly encompassing it. With its darkness, the fire wall was extinguished as it darted towards them again._

"_Plan B perhaps?" Kakashi asked._

"_You're the ninja! Aren't you supposed to be all strategic and stuff?!"_

"_I thought you were the dream expert."_

"_Chiisaiiiii…" The blob hissed._

"_I'm gonna have the worst headache when I get up…Wait!"_

_She pulled at Kakashi, making him stop running. "I know what to do. I need you to trust me."_

_They both stood there, waiting for the crawling mass of darkness. "What's the plan, Chiisai?"_

"_Chiisaiiiii..."_

_The darkness was barely 25 meters away now, black spindles reaching for them._

"_So," with eyes still trained on the monster, "I'd like to apologize for yesterday. Yelling at you wasn't going to solve anything, but I was so angry at you. Plus that was pretty stupid of me to take on a ninja…Kind of pathetic really."_

_The monster was almost on top of them now, rearing a shrill of a battle cry._

"_Chiisai?" He glanced down at her, his body growing tense. He saw pain in her eyes._

"_Sorry, Farm Boy. You're gonna have to wake up."_

_Before he could react, a kunai appeared in her hand as she thrust it in his stomach. He doubled over, still trying to reach for her as the darkness swallowed him up, forcing him awake._


	6. A Goodbye Present

Kakashi didn't immediately smell Chiisai or her cat, nor did he hear any movement when he arrived at her apartment. He knocked the door open, running in to find it completely empty. The rain must have covered her scent.

"Dammit, Chiisai." He had underestimated her…

Kakashi went into the bedroom, looking for any signs of her departure. The covers were thrown aside, her pajamas scattered as if she had been moving while changing. He noticed a book missing from her bookshelf. One lone journal sat on the bed, waiting for him.

_If you see me in your dreams again, you need to kill me. Your Sharingan will be able to find me if I'm there, it's happened before. Anyone who falls asleep may not wake up, so I'm going to try to fix this. Sorry…And thanks for everything. _

Before Kakashi could think, he heard the cracking of glass.

The jonin jumped to the back of the room, avoiding the ninja who had just kicked in the window.

It was an ANBU. Kakashi twisted from his reach as the two fought. But the room was small, and little could be done to maneuver. However, that didn't stop the copy ninja from using it to his advantage. The opponent was sloppy, as if he were drunk. Within seconds, Kakashi had the ANBU defeated, his hands tied to the bed post by the phone cord.

Kakashi crouched down, coming eye level with the masked man. "Who sent you?"

The man didn't reply, didn't even flinch. Kakashi took hold of the mask, revealing the face of his attacker.

His eyes were half opened, but the man was sound asleep.

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Places like this intimidated Chiisai. She had spent most of her life away from people, shut in by her parents. Even as an adult, she spent most of her time in the library or with her cat. Books were her usual protection against humanity, and that was what was protecting her now.

A cheesy romance novel lay in her hands, shielding her face from passerby's. Tori crouched beside her, eyes trained on a butterfly a few feet away.

Her shoes sat next to her, her attempt on drying them though the sun hid behind the clouds. It rained when she left, which was a good thing if anyone was looking for her. Her scent would be harder to find now…But still traceable. Kakashi would probably find her soon, and then she'd have a lot of explaining to do. Her plan at first had been to flee the village, but realistically that wouldn't solve anything. So here Chiisai sat as she tried to come up with a decent strategy at facing this eminent threat within herself.

Noticing a large group of people coming, Chiisai instinctively shoved the book closer to her face. This was worse than buying groceries on a busy day. Some days weren't so bad, like the day she met Gai and Kakashi. But today wasn't a good day, and she wasn't in a great mood either.

Though her face was almost pressed against the book, the woman could tell that someone sat on the other side of the bench. Of all the benches in the village, someone had to choose this one. She peeked out of the corner of her eye and immediately noticed a ninja uniform.

She glanced at the person. The man caught her eye and gave her a quick smile. Chiisai shoved her face back into the book, trying to remember his face. Brown hair, almond black eyes, weird headband helmet…

"Are you having trouble reading your book?"

"Huh?" She turned to the man. She tried to appear perky, like she was actually a cheery person who wasn't being chased by a nightmare monster.

"I've never seen someone whose eyes are inches away from a text. Do you normally read like that?" He seemed like a calm and collected individual, his body posture relaxed. He might be alright to socialize with.

"Oh, no! My face seems to get closer the more interesting the book is." She smiled.

"Well, it must be interesting then."

"Hai!" She replied with true enthusiasm. Farm boy had actually picked a good book. He must read a ton of romance novels. Of course, it seemed the ninja read whatever he could get his hands on…Including personal journals.

"So what's it about?"

"Huh?"

His hand gestured to the novel. "Your book. It looks like something my senpai would read."

"Well," she leaned slightly towards him, "If your senpai likes romance, then I guess he'd like this. _Dreaming of Love_ is cheesy and a bit dramatic though."

He nodded. "You seem very passionate about books."

"I am." Interaction: one must try to get to know the other person, as to not appear conceited. Chiisai shifted her weight, leaning more toward the man. "What are you passionate about?"

"Huh?"

"What's your passion?" She relaxed as she gazed at the ninja. "I'd guess it has something to do with being a ninja, ninjutsu perhaps? Maybe I'm just being stereotypical."

He gave her a short laugh. "Oh, not at all! I do have a passion for my ninja skills, particularly my ninjutsu." He glanced down at his hand. "But I am also passionate about other things, like architecture."

"Oh, really?" His words triggered something in her mind, of children in tubes and wood sprouting from skin. She met his eye again, and soon his dreams spilled into her mind…of skin hardening to bark and limbs twisting into trees.

"Hai. I mostly read books about architecture in my spare time."

She swallowed, trying to stop her mind from pouring out images of his past. "You must go to the library a lot then," her words were slow.

"Yes." He looked at her quizzically.

Her eyes brightened, trying to appear casual. "Maybe that's why you look so familiar! I work at the library."

"Oh really?" He met her eyes. "We must see each other a lot without realizing it!"

"Chiisai!"

They both turned to the sound. Koshuu was running up to them. "I didn't expect to see you out."

"Oh, hey Koshuu. What's with the sunglasses? You look like someone from the Aburame clan."

He scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I had to go to an eye specialist today. They did something weird to them. How's your concussion? You're cold seems to be gone too!"

She laid the book back down in her lap and replied, "Everything's pretty much healed."

"That's great! Listen, I was wondering if we could…uh…go for a walk and talk about some things…If you don't mind."

"Oh." She looked back at the ninja, who was currently pretending not to overhear their conversation. "I'm sorry. It was nice talking to you, -?" He nodded. "Tenzo." Chiisai smiled as she hurriedly slipped her shoes back on. "Maybe I'll see you at the library sometime, Tenzo."

He nodded once more, smiling as she stood. Chiisai picked up Tori and he nestled on her shoulder. They all departed, leaving the shinobi a bit depressed. It seemed like all the pretty girls were taken nowadays.

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"What?!" Her fist made contact with the wood, rattling the desk violently. Pakkun sat before Lady Tsunade, her face reflecting her fury. In her other hand held the note Chiisai had written to Kakashi. "I don't have time for this!"

"Kakashi's tracking her as we speak."

The door flew open as Shizune rushed in. "Lady Tsunade!"

"What now?!"

"The ninja in custody will not wake up, and Inoichi is still trying to find information. There have also been reports of other citizens unable to wake up, namely children!"

"Dammit, what the hell is going on?! Without Chiisai, we have nothing!" She pounded the desk again, breaking it in half. "And get Izumo and Kotetsu, I need a new desk!"

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"I guess you don't have an umbrella either, huh," Chiisai said as the rain came pouring down. Tori hissed up at the sky, but Chiisai hurriedly hid him inside her jacket.

"C'mon! Let's get out of this weather!" Koshuu grabbed her arm, pulling her with him.

"Whoa, strong grip!" She yelped over the rain. Her other hand was trying to support the cat's weight, making an awkward form of running.

"Sorry!" He loosened his hold as they both ran through the rain. Everyone else was doing the same, trying to use their jackets to cover their heads. Their feet sloshed against the mud as Koshuu led her down the street of houses.

She followed him inside a large building, its windows barred up but the door easily opened.

"Whoa, is this abandoned?" Her voice echoed off the walls.

"Yeah, not the best place but at least we're out of the rain."

"That's true," she replied. Tori peaked out of her jacket, his eye seemingly glowing in the dark. With a smile, she pick him up, kissed his damp fur, and sat him on the ground. He brushed up against her leg as she shrugged off the soaked jacket.

"I hope you don't get sick again."

"Yeah, me too. It's really dark in here." She squinted but still couldn't see anything.

"Yeah, it is. So, you sure everything's healed up?" Koshuu's voice seemed to echo off the walls.

"Eh, stop worrying." Her hand felt the wall, trying to find a direction to go in. At least there was light coming from underneath the door. Why did he close the door? "Full recovery could be a week to 6 months." Her head snapped into a sneeze, making her dizzy.

"It's only been a week, Chiisai." She heard him smile. "Don't get too ahead of yourself."

"I'm fine."

"Good, because you were saying some pretty weird thing when I was taking care of you."

She stopped walking, but quickly tried to recover from shock. "Oh…I did? I must have really been out of it." Chiisai continued to follow the wall, her hand out just in case she ran into a pole. "Kakashi was telling me the exact same thing yesterday," she replied with a hesitant laugh. She did run into something, but it wasn't what she expected. He had an iron grip around her wrist, his body a solid wall compared to her petite frame.

"Yeah, I bet."

Fear crept through her then, making her heart beat faster. She could no longer hear the rain, or smell the dampness in the air. All she could feel was his hand squeezing her wrist and the terror suddenly rushing through her body. She knew he was angry, she didn't need light to realize as he growled, "So...Let's talk about you and Kakashi."

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This was the third time Kakashi fought today. This time there were two ninjas, two more comrades he was going to have to take down. Kakashi faced Izumo and Kotetsu, two chunin who never woke up this morning. He thought maybe his attackers had been under a genjutsu, but breaking it had failed. Whoever was behind this must have had enough practice, because these two were more precise with their attacks.

The two charged from each side, both yielding weapons. Kakashi knew this assault and quickly used a substitution. He needed to immobilize them without hurting them, since knocking them unconscious had proved unsuccessful.

Suddenly, as Kakashi was fighting one, he noticed a wooden pole coming towards him. The jonin jumped out of the way as the wood wove itself around Kotetsu. Izumo was quickly immobilized too as a ninja landed beside Kakashi.

"Thanks Tenzo."

"Why were they attacking you?"

"They're helping in one of Gai's challenges," he lied. Kakashi bent down in front of Izumo, slapping the side of his cheek. But the ninja remained in his dream state. The white-haired ninja straightened, shaking his head.

"You seem stressed, senpai. What kind of challenge is this?"

"Eh, it's nothing." He raised his head up to the sky. "…The rain's washing away her scent."

Tenzo stretched his arm and flexed his hand. "Her? Speaking of "her," I met a girl that reminded me of you. She had your taste in books. Strange, really."

Kakashi was about to dismiss the conversation, getting tired of his comrade's match making suggestions. He stopped on hearing books, his eye now focused. "What did she look like?"

Tenzo placed a hand on his chin. "Hmm…She was small, had a baggy jacket on...Works at the library. What did he call her again? Chiisai?"

Kakashi placed his hands on his comrade's shoulders, startling the ninja. His senpai's eyebrow was furrowed, his eye threatening. His voice was hard as he demanded, "He who? And where did they go?"

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"What do you mean, Koshuu?" She was trying to control her voice, to stay calm. The flashbacks of getting her head bashed into the wall were coming back, the same fears then happening now. Hopefully Kakashi would find her soon.

"You and Kakashi. How well do you know each other?" His tone was offensive, almost sickened by what he was saying.

"He's just a ninja who t-took care of me. We barely know each other."

"You spent at least a week together and you barely know him? That's not a good answer, Chiisai." There was a growl rising in his tone.

"I had a concussion and a cold. What did you expect?" She tried to sound confident, but past fears kept creeping up, images of her father's strong grip around her wrists, leaving bruises that lasted for days.

"Are you sure he wasn't just using you? Trying to discover your secrets?"

"You're hurting me." Her voice hardened as tried to yank away. This wasn't the Koshuu she knew.

He released her with a jerk, making her fall to the ground. His voice became distant, his footsteps echoing as he walked away. "Letting a ninja in your home wasn't smart, Chiisai. Remember what I told you? You're never supposed to trust a ninja." His words resonated throughout the room, leaving her speechless.

_You're never supposed to trust a ninja._

This wasn't Koshuu. Someone was controlling him. But that's im-

Before she could blink, her ears caught the sound of a shrill hiss. Tori attacked Koshuu, the sounds of their struggle echoed off the bare walls. Chiisai got to her feet and ran towards the two. But the cement walls reverberated the noises, leaving Chiisai desperate and sprinting even faster. She tripped over something, causing her to crash into the ground. She had been a fool for following him in here, dammit.

Then she heard a clink of metal. The room was so dark, and she could make out nothing. "Tori!" She got up again despite her knee's protest, trying to find the source of the noise. Shit shit shit she needed to find them before anything happened. She couldn't lose Tori, she couldn't-

But then there came a clear animal cry of pain, followed by the sound of something slumping to the floor. There was silence now, all except Chiisai's ragged breathing.

"Tori?" Her voice was a whimper, her heart pounding in her chest. She needed Tori. He was the only stable thing in her life, the only thing that kept her sane over the years. She remembered the first time she saw him in her friend's hands…He was the only thing he had of her past, the one good thing that had stayed. Tears stained the corner of her eyes as she tried to swallow. This wasn't happening. This was a dream, this had to be. Tori will wake her up soon. This couldn't be real..

Koshuu grabbed her by the hair, yanking her back as she let out a cry.

"You've gotten weak, Chiisai. And all this time I've gotten stronger by sucking up your power that's been seeping through the cracks. If only you had learned to control your powers, maybe this wouldn't be happening," his voice was harsh, his tone mocking. "Soon," he shoved her to the ground, "You won't know the difference between dreams and reality. You'll be lost, and I'll be here to take what should have been mine." His face was inches from hers now, his breath grazing her neck. "I'll be able to avenge mine and your mother's death, my small crow."

Her black eyes were wide with terror, tears streaming down her face as she whimpered, "F…Father?"

There was a short laugh, a small rumble emanating from Koshuu's chest. "I'm looking forward to seeing you again, daughter. How about I give you a goodbye present until we see each other? I already killed your cat, but since you killed both your mother and I, I think a bit more might be in order. Don't you think?"

She felt his hand digging into her scalp, shoving her face forward. Her tears flew back, her body limp and mind consumed with guilt. Their deaths had finally come back to haunt her. It was her fault. She deserved this.

The room suddenly became lighter, as if the sun had found a way into the room two seconds too alte. She saw the cement floor and not too far ahead, Tori lying in a bloody heap.

She deserved this, she told herself.

Then she hit solid earth.

And all went black.


	7. The Mission

Kakashi was too late. He saw her lying on the cement ground with Koshuu bending over her. The jonin was instantly on top of him as he flung Koshuu back. Koshuu smacked into the wall and fell to the ground in a fit of laughter. The jonin yanked him up by the collar, his eye narrowed with a look of unforgiveness.

"You're too late ninja," he chuckled. "She won't be waking up again."

"She's stronger than you think."

"Oh, I know what my own daughter is capable of."

He tightened his grip. "Her parents are dead."

"She didn't tell you then, did she? I guess she didn't want anyone to know that she killed mommy and daddy, huh?" Koshuu let out another laugh. "Why don't you join us so we can discuss this all together? You look as surprised as she did when she found out my spirit was still kicking!"

"…Karasu Kuroi."

He paused for a moment. "I gave that name up when I died," His tone was violent, half-crazed. "I am the Baku, and once you fall asleep I'll be there to make sure you never wake up. Besides," he smiled, "you really should visit my little dream kingdom." He gave a maniacal cackle before glancing at Chiisai. "The guest of honor will be here soon, and then the real party starts! Until then, sweet dreams!" Koshuu's lips spread into a crooked grin before going limp under Kakashi's grip. Chiisai's father was gone.

Kakashi dropped the sleeping man before redirecting his focus on Chiisai. She and Tori lay on the ground, their bodies smeared with blood. Kakashi delicately picked Chiisai up, her body seeming even smaller against him. Her hair stuck to her face, and as he wiped the bloody strands away, he finally saw the damage.

Her nose was broken, blood dribbling down her mouth and chin. She was bruised under her eyes, her forehead was swelling and covered in blood. She reeked of blood. Kuroi made sure she wouldn't be waking up even if she tried.

He cradled her broken body, making his way toward Tori. But the cat didn't move. It laid still, its chest no longer rising and falling. He had died protecting his human.

"I'm sorry, Chiisai," Kakashi whispered to the unconscious woman. His thoughts flickered back to Naruto and Sasuke as he finished, "Forgive me…I didn't make it in time."

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"We can't afford to have anything like this happen, we're vulnerable enough as it is with a new Hokage and the Akatsuki at our backs."

"Is it a sickness or an enemy attack?" Homura asked calmly, unlike the other council member.

The fifth Hokage's knuckles turned white, though her reply was civil. "It has been confirmed as an enemy attack, though we do not know if it is human."

"Not human? What else could it be then?" The old woman's voice was hard.

"A nightmare, a being that takes hold of your subconscious as you sleep."

"Then how can it be stopped?"

"The person who has the information is currently being tracked down. The situation will be under control soon."

They did not like her response. But before they could rebuttal, an ANBU suddenly appeared, bowing his head toward the Hokage. "He has arrived, Lady Hokage."

Tsunade nodded to him before he disappeared. The woman stood up, leaving the two as she strode to the door. "This meeting is over." Shizune followed behind her, showing a look of apology toward the council. The door banged shut behind them, leaving the two alone.

"She is too rash and clearly has no hold on the situation."

"As long as this continues, every villager is at risk. The Leaf must be protected."

"We should discuss this with Danzo."

"Hai."

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Chiisai's eye bolted open as she sat upright in the bed. Tori sat next to her, retracting his claws as her arm bled. She could feel her heart ram against her sternum, almost bursting with adrenaline. Her face felt wet, and when she touched her cheek, her fingers were splayed with tears and blood. She stumbled off the bed, half running to the bathroom.

She saw herself in the mirror, her hair in every direction and her eyes wide with worry. She had cried in her sleep and her nose was bleeding, pouring blood it seemed. Hurriedly, she shoved a wad of tissue up her nose as she tried to clean up the blood dripping off of her.

It was a dream. All of it was a dream.

But her mind kept wandering back to the nightmare, _her _nightmare. It was rare of her to dream now, and something so real as that dream had her on edge. Was the seal breaking? Was it a warning of what might come? No, her dad was dead. She had killed him, and he wasn't coming back. That dream was just her mind giving her what she thought she deserved. And Kakashi Hatake helping her? Psh, even that was far-fetched for a dream.

But just to be sure, Chiisai went straight to the kitchen, climbing the counter to fetch her journals. Both top books were covered in dust, evidence that they had been untouched for years. Satisfied and heart at normal pace, she hopped down and got a glass. Tori strolled on in, letting out a purr as he rubbed against her leg. She scooped him into a hug, grateful to have her cat alive beside her.

"You're getting some milk, Tori."

The cat let out a meow as she smiled down at him. She opened the door with one hand and paused. Why was her milk on the second shelf? She always kept it on the first shelf.

Shrugging, she retrieved the carton and poured some for her and Tori. It's not like someone would sneak in her apartment just to drink some milk…Hopefully.

"First a dream, then a nosebleed, and now my milk hopping shelves? This is going to be a very weird day, Tori."

The cat continued to lap its milk, only paying attention to his desire at hand. Chiisai glanced at the window, the Sun was only beginning to shed a sliver of light on the horizon.

"Maybe it's a bad sign. Maybe I should just stay home today," she said to Tori. "Going outside means I have to see people and socialize…Of course, I am talking to a cat right now."

She set the glass in the sink, adding one more thing to the pile of dishes. She turned back and leaned against the counter. Frowning, Chiisai muttered, "If only I didn't have to make money …"

Finally making a decision, Chiisai trudged back to her room to change clothes. "Well, it's jogging time."

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Tsunade stood over Chiisai, her hand hovering over of the unconscious woman's head.

"There's nothing written here at all." Shizune rustled through the papers in her hands. "No profile, no power, no seal, nothing. The Third kept it hidden well."

Kakashi stood by Inoichi, his arms crossed and face serious. "Then we have to go with what we know. Kuroi believes himself to be more than human. He wants to control everyone within their dreams."

"Which is why he needs to be stopped as soon as possible. Chiisai is the epicenter. We need her in order to stop him."

Inoichi spoke up. "Everyone who is asleep has a barricade around their subconscious. It's neither ninjutsu or genjutsu…It's as if it's a living thing. When I got near it, it tried to suck me into the person's dream." His hands clenched. "To think Kuroi has my daughter locked away inside her own mind…"

Body tense but voice calm, Tsunade said, "Once I heal her wounds, Inoichi, you will link Kakashi to Chiisai. It seems the Sharingan is our only advantage."

"Hai."

"This mission cannot fail. I hate to put this all on you, but it seems you are the only ones who can do this." Tsunade removed her hands from the patient.

Kakashi nodded.

"We're ready."

Inoichi and Kakashi both stepped forward. The white haired jonin laid down beside Chiisai. Her chest rose and fell with each small breath she took. Her face was etched with dried blood, covering her otherwise peaceful expression.

As Inoichi placed a hand on both of their heads, he said, "I'm linking you to Chiisai's mind. Once we get in, I'll tell you what to do."

Kakashi nodded, took on last glance at Chiisai, and then closed his eye. He was going to wake her up, no matter what the cost.

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Kakashi and Inoichi floated inside Chiisai's mind, her brain stemming up before them. A black substance swirled around part of her mind. Its fluidity was smooth and forever changing, letting out slick hiss as it reached out and receded.

"Kuroi has part of everyone's mind sealed behind this barrier. It's cutting off the nerves that link it to the rest of the mind."

Kakashi's keen eye narrowed at the mass, trying to find a weakness by just observing. "What do I need to do?"

"Once you get close, the barrier will reach out and suck you in. When it grabbed my arm, I saw flashes of images, like pieces of a dream."

"So it will suck me into Chiisai's dream."

"Hai. I'm not sure what you will find once you get inside," Inoichi paused. "Once you're in, you won't have any contact with the outside world, I'm afraid. You will remain there until you have completed the mission."

"Hai." Kakashi began to move forward.

"One more thing," the man said. Kakashi stopped to look back as Inoichi continued. "I'm not sure what you'll be presented with in the dream world. Just remember that you are in a dream."

Kakashi nodded while meeting his eyes. "I won't fail."

Inoichi nodded. "Good luck, Kakashi."

He nodded before hovering closer to the barrier. As he came closer, the darkness responded. Just like in his nightmare, the oily darkness shot out at him, grabbing his arm as it dragged him closer. He didn't retaliate. More spindles shot out with a violent hiss, yanking at his limbs and torso. There was no pain, only flashes of what seemed like memories. Konoha loomed in his vision, of an early morning on a clear day.

The darkness dragged him through the barrier, leaving behind reality as he entered the land of dreams.

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_Baaaah You beautiful people should review. Do you like it or dislike it? Are you indifferent? But for reals ya'll, suggestions and comments are welcome!_

_Note 4/1/15: Currently I'm updating each chapter chronologically to get rid of grammatical errors. So after this day is over, if you spot any mistakes or get confused, please comment so I can get that cleared up! Thanks!_


	8. Land Of Dreams

Kakashi bolted upright in bed. Sweat beaded his skin as he tried to calm is heart rate. Images flashed within his head, yet he was unable to grab hold. He knew he needed to remember something important, something that needed immediate attention. But like a dying flame the images flickered out, leaving him in darkness.

What was it that he needed to do? It was about a girl, a woman who read books. Or was that his imagination?

Already awake, Kakashi got out of bed and glanced out the window. The Sun was beginning to peak over the horizon, the night sky fading into a dull bluish grey. The jonin got a glass of water, gulping it down as he tried to sort his jumbled thoughts.

His uneasiness grew with each passing moment. The only image he could grasp was night sky eyes and brown hair that was never in place. Seeing her face in his mind brought a sense of closeness, as if he knew the woman on a personal level.

His heart quickened its pace, verifying what he seemed to already believe. Kakashi trusted his instincts, and his instincts told him he needed to find this woman, and he needed to find her as soon as possible.

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After taking her usual jogging route (and noting that Gai passed her four times today), Chiisai showered and headed to work. The Sun had finally risen and the village's citizens were all beginning to start the day. Chiisai avoided eye contact, keeping her eyes to the ground as people passed her. Sometimes eye contact triggered memories of their dreams. Even after a decade, the dreams still haunted her.

She took out the key and went the back way to the library. As usual, she was the first one here. Chiisai did the morning ritual, flipping on all the lights, sorting through returned books, putting them into the computer…of course, arriving an hour early always made time for such things.

Working at the library for ten years, Chiisai knew this place like the back of her hand. She knew just about where every book was in this place (she was the one that cataloged most of them). Chiisai spent her days in the back, cataloging books, going through inventory, and checking for late returns. Basically, anything that involved minimal interaction with people. Unfortunately, her coworkers had come to a unanimous agreement that she should work at the front at least once a week. And today unfortunately was that day.

She heard the back door open. Ten minutes early was usually Mizuki, an older woman who constantly fretted over her jonin husband.

"Chiisai! Always the early bird, aren't you?" Mizuki asked, her crow's feet deepening as she gave a warm smile.

"Hey Mizuki. How's the family?" Her customary response.

"Oh, the usual. Rokura is home for a couple of days, thank the sixth paths. That last mission of his seemed to have worn him out, the poor man!"

Chiisai nodded as the woman set her bag down in the back. "And the boys seem alright, though they really should visit more often. What they both need is a woman, especially Satoshi." The coffee maker came to life in the background.

Chiisai replied, "You just really want some grandbabies I think."

The woman joined her at the front desk, straightening some flyers. "Oh, how I miss the little pitter patter of feet! The only sounds I hear at home are the leaky faucet and Rokura's snores!"

The backdoor opened once more. A few minutes late, either Koshuu or the new girl. Hopefully it was the first. Chiisai wasn't sure if she could handle the new girl today. Hopefully she would be working tomorrow, on Chiisai's day off.

"Who made the coffee?" Koshuu's voice rang. "I pray it wasn't Ms. Silent, who might I add works at the front desk today!" Chiisai heard the smile behind his singsong words, making her groan inwardly.

"I went ahead and made some," Mizuki replied. "My husband kept me up most of the night."

Koshuu let out a short cough. "Whoa, Mizuki, too much information! Don't get me wrong, I'm glad at your age you both still-"

"Snoring! Snoring, Koshuu!" Mizuki shouted back as she slapped the back of his head.

Chiisai went ahead and unlocked the front door. As she turned the CLOSED sign around, Koshuu came out with two cups of coffee. "Hey, Chiisai."

"Hmmm?" She glanced at him halfheartedly.

"You know about Storytime today, right? Ages 3-5 are coming this afternoon. Guess whose turn it is..?" He grinned before taking a sip of his coffee and laying the other down.

"Shuttup," was her response. Chiisai plopped down at the front desk, ignoring Koshuu's satisfied expression. Storytime was usually Mizuki's thing, but her coworkers also came to the conclusion that Chiisai should be integrated into the event. "Building communication skills," the new girl had said. Well the new girl could shove those "communication skills" up her-

Koshuu set his coffee down, resting his arms on the desk as he leaned over. "You sure you can handle this, Ms. Silent?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

In response, Chiisai reached under the desk and reappeared with a stack of books she had saved specially for him. "Put these back on the shelves." She said plainly. Koshuu glanced at the books, then at her, then back at the books. With a heavy groan, Koshuu drew back from the desk and collected the stack. "In one of your moods, I see. Maybe you should go out sometime, maybe go on a date-"

"No," she cut him off shortly.

He shrugged, making his way to the shelves. "Worth a try anyway."

Mizuki wandered out to the front, joining Chiisai. "He is rough around the edges, but you know he cares about you."

She pretended to be occupied by her coffee. "I know," Chiisai's words were flat.

The woman sighed, returning to the back. "So much youth wasted on the young..."

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Kakashi began his search for the mysterious woman once the Sun rose. With not even a name to go by, the ninja had spent the morning wandering the streets, trying to place her face on each person he saw.

With no luck, Kakashi headed to every bookstore in Konoha, trying to describe her face to the people who worked there. That was a dead end as well. Sighing, the ninja trudged to the library, trying to recover any fragments of his dream.

However, there was a distraction. As he glanced around the village, certain things seemed out of place. Everything felt two dimensional…Like it lacked substance. Something was off, and someone was taking great care of covering it up. In the ninja world, anything was possible.

As he neared the library, a familiar figure suddenly appeared.

"Eternal rival!"

"Gai?" Kakashi appeared startled. "I thought you were on a mission."

His friend grabbed him around the shoulders. "The mission was completed early thanks to the eternal power of youth!" There were tears in his eyes. "I've never seen such an eccentric team! Now how about a challenge?!"

Kakashi slipped under Gai's grip. "Not today, Gai."

"You always say that! I demand a rematch!"

The white haired ninja gazed as his friend, knowing full well that Gai had won the last challenge. There was no need for a rematch. His eye narrowed. Other ninjas seemed to be lurking around, walking casually but eyes glancing his way. It wasn't just the ninjas, but the citizens as well.

"Eh, fine." Kakashi stuck out his hand, preparing for rock, paper, scissors. The eyes looked away, satisfied by his response.

"No!" Gai smacked his hand away. "I want something exciting, something that can release this pent up youth!"

"What do you suggest then?" Kakashi asked unenthusiastically.

"A Taijutsu match! Fight until one of us falls in defeat!" Gai grinned ear to ear. "And no bathroom breaks this time!"

"I've got to prepare for a mission tomorrow," he lied. "Maybe another time." Before Gai could protest, Kakashi lifted two fingers and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

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Chiisai almost jumped out of her seat when a man appeared in a puff of smoke. Ninja just thought they could disappear and reappear as they pleased, she thought to herself. Just one more thing to add to the list of ninja nuisances.

The man had appeared five feet from the desk, his back turned away. Against her better judgment, Chiisai muttered, "Is it really that hard to walk through the front door?"

The person ignored her remark, remaining silent as he turned around. She could tell he was tall, probably more than a head taller than her. As the swirling tendrils of smoke cleared, Chiisai froze in her chair.

Only one ninja had white hair- the one that haunted her dreams.

She blinked slowly, her mind momentarily blank as his intense eye met her wide ones. She didn't hear Koshuu approach from behind the shelves or smell the coffee sitting in a mug beside her. All senses were locked on Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Ninja of Konoha. Her heart seemed to beat faster, but that didn't surprise her as much as the images creeping across her vision, of Hatake (farm-boy, she had called him) holding her in his arms, his infuriating silence when she yelled at him…

His eye seemed more intense than ever, his cold gaze seeming to chill her flushed face. For a moment, she thought she must be dreaming. The thought triggered something then, and before she realized it, she was whispering the words that felt so familiar though she didn't know why.

"…You real?"

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Frightened onyx eyes stared back at him. A wisp of brown hair slanted across her face, but she made no effort to brush it back. The face he saw in his dreams was now before him. The woman, who had first seemed irritated at his arrival, now seemed shocked.

Her posture was as rigid as his, for images flickered across his mind at the same time it happened to Chiisai. A concussion and a cold, a nurse had told him. Red in her dreams. Her small hand yanking his masks down, her thumb on his lip. Her body limp on the cold cement ground, her hair matted with blood.

The puzzle pieces were dancing inside his head and only came together when she uttered those two words. It all came back then, the images coming together to form the truth. The memories hit him like a shuriken to the skin: sharp and painfully clear.

"Chiisai?"

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He said her name as if he knew her, like this was some kind of reunion. He took a step towards her, but she only drew back in her chair, a hint of fear crossing her face. This was a joke, right? This had to be a coincidence, nothing more.

Her usual indifferent expression shattered under his gaze. "…Yes?" Her voice wavered slightly, her fingers tightening around the seat of her chair.

"Hey!"

She jumped, thrown off by Koshuu's voice. His brown eyes were narrowed with concern, his eyebrows slanted with anger. "Get away from her! Chiisai, run!"

Chiisai and Kakashi both frowned.

Suddenly, five leaf ninjas appeared. She saw Kakashi's eye narrow, his body tense. Someone grabbed her arm. The silence came like a breeze, letting her for a moment comprehend the situation. Had they come for her or for him? Why were they here? Then she felt the chaos of it all as her heart began to race. She heard Kakashi's firm voice, "You're dreaming-"

Chiisai broke eye contact, her eyes now watching four shinobi attack Hatake. For some reason, she didn't want him attacked. He saved her once…

Hadn't he?

But then the ninja beside her lifted two fingers, making him and Chiisai vanish from the library, leaving behind the only thing left of her reality...


	9. Hide And Seek

Chiisai opened her eyes. No windows, neutral walls, wooden table with chairs… No decorations, nothing to dull the blaring light hanging from the ceiling. The ninja let go of her arm, ushering her to the nearest chair. Rubbing her now sore arm, she glared at the ninja and remarked, "How nice, I'm being interrogated."

He smirked before vanishing, leaving her alone in the small room. Her mouth dropped in response as her shoulders sagged. "Jerk." She plopped down in the seat, rubbing her temples as she tried to focus on her predicament.

So a man in her dreams appeared at her workplace, looking at her with that creepy cold eye of his. And said her name like a freakin' caress. Then ninjas took her away and attacked him. So someone knew Hatake was coming for her and tried to stop it. Okay. That was a good start.

What had Farm Boy said? Something about dreaming?

She shook her head, cutting off that corner of her thoughts. No, he wasn't Farm Boy. She was just spooked from her dreams this morning, it had her wound up and everything reminded her of that. He wouldn't know anything having to do with the things that happened when she closed her eyes at night. This had nothing to do with that dream, of Hatake discovering her most prized secret…

Too many things were happening to be coincidences. Nothing felt right. Though her rationality protested, she closed her eyes and let her mind wander. She dared to think the impossible, entertaining her thoughts briefly with the words, _What if?_

_You're dreaming. _That's what Farm Boy said.

It had taken years of her childhood to be convinced what was a dream and what was reality. How many times had her mother gone half mad trying to convince little Chiisai that she was real, that her parents were real, that dying wouldn't wake her up? Chiisai had traveled down that road too many times, and acknowledging that she still was unable to tell the difference of the two worlds would kill all sanity she had managed to grasp over the years.

A sharp rattle on the door shocked her out of her thoughts as a massive man marched in, dressed head to toe in black. Morino Ibiki- the man, who as a boy, dreamed of Orochimaru twisting into a snake and slithering around him…And at the age of ten was so worried about the chunin exam that the feelings bled into his sleeping mind. He had learned at a young age that pain was a useful tool for getting things his way, as long as his conscious justified it.

"Karasu Chiisai."

"Yes." She tried to ignore her rising heartbeat and her clammy hands. This man had no problem showing no mercy. Something serious must be happening if they sent him.

He sunk down in the chair opposite of her, his face stern as his appearance. "Do you know why you're here?"

"….No." She blinked and for a moment saw Orochimaru in the chair, his pale limbs sinking into his flesh as he transformed into a hissing snake. Her breath caught in her throat and she squeezed her eyes shut. Don't make eye contact. Don't remember his nightmares. It's not real.

"Chiisai?"

"Hmmm?" She flickered her eyes to the jagged scar on his cheek as she forced herself to take a deep breath.

"You seem nervous." His voice was hard, almost suspicious.

She recovered quickly. "I'm just a bit confused on what's going on exactly. How did you all know that ninja was in the library?"

The man cleared his throat. "We received a message this morning. We have evidence suggesting someone it posing as Hatake Kakashi."

Whoever was disguising himself as Hatake must have a death wish. Chiisai crossed her legs, trying to appear confident. "What does that have to do with me?"

"We believe it has to do with your father. Ninja easily make enemies, and your father was no exception."

She nodded casually, though her heart caught at the mention of her father. "So…Do you know the man who's posing as Farm-", she shook her head, "-I mean Hatake?"

Ibiki's eyes narrowed for a moment, unseen by Chiisai. His words were straight to the point. "No. It's likely someone wants revenge and is looking for a relative to kill as retribution. It's not uncommon."

Her blood ran cold at his words. A life for a life it seemed, that would be her end. Maybe the dream was a warning for her demise. Voice slightly unsteady, she asked, "So…Is Hatake alright then? The real one I mean?"

The interrogator tensed, but spoke with the same gruffness as before. "He's on a mission currently. You do not need to worry about him."

"Oh." But her heart wouldn't let her. What if he was hurt? What if someone had killed him? He couldn't be dead. He was one of the most capable ninja she knew. But did she know? Chiisai's hands balled into fists. Why was she fretting over someone she didn't know? Why were these feelings so deeply rooted when no memories existed? This wasn't normal. Unless that dream...

_No,_ she thought. _I am normal. This is real life, not fantasy. If I question myself now, it's all over for me. Goodbye, sensibility. Goodbye, hopes and dreams and hello insane asylum._

But her mind refused to yield to her protests. It kept wandering back to the man in the library, whose eye seemed so full of darkness but who said her name with such conviction. Who was the man behind the mask?

Ibiki straightened, pulling her out of her thoughts. "You will be under protection until this matter is resolved. Do you think anyone would want you other than for retribution?"

Chiisai swallowed, forcing herself to look him in the eyes. With a shrug, she only replied, "No, I'm just a librarian."

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Kakashi eyed the four ninja around him, all crouched with the readiness for battle. Unfortunately, Chiisai was gone. Cursing himself, he waited for them to make the first move. They came at him in one second intervals, each with kunais in hand. He flung the first two into bookshelves and used substitution for the others. He easily had the four down without a scratch on him in a span of seven seconds. In unison, the four slowly rose, turning to face their opponent once more.

"Well," Kuroi's voice spoke through them, "you're a bit early to the party, Hatake."

Kakashi met the four head on, sparks flying off of their clashing kunais as he replied, "I didn't want to miss anything."

Kakashi continued to fight the four, trying to come up with a strategic plan. It was likely Kuroi only attacked like this to keep the mask of normality on. Also, if he was already in control of many minds, his power might be limited. Kakashi wouldn't be able to hide in enemy territory this time. Kuroi had control of everything, excluding he and Chiisai. If her father was playing the normality card, it was likely Chiisai would have been taken into custody.

"You know, it was fun watching you try to put the pieces together in the beginning," Kuroi said as he jumped back. "I thought you might be a challenge, because what good is fixing the minds of Konoha without a little anarchy? I must say though," he continued with disdain, "you've haven't really surprised me yet."

Kakashi's eye narrowed as he punched a ninja through the wall. "So you were watching ever since the seal broke."

The ninjas came at him again, their faces plastered with grins as they replied, "I haven't just been sitting on the sidelines, Hatake. You think Chiisai would really be able to talk immediately after the concussion? I used Chiisai's own powers on herself as soon as I was free!"

Kakashi's eyes widened. Realization came as quick as the kunai slicing through his sleeve. "You wanted me to know from the very beginning. You were giving hints the whole time."

The ninjas threw up their hands in unison as they cried, "Of course! You were the only one who could make the game interesting!"

"Me?"

The ninjas gave him a faint smile. "I see then. Do you know why her powers were sealed? Or who sealed them?"

"The Third…" The white haired jonin didn't finish as he attacked one of the ninja.

Kuroi chuckled. "You two still have much to talk about then." The four ninja halted as Kakashi drove his electrified hand through one of their hearts. Kakashi straightened, ripping his arm out of the body. Two other ninjas disappeared, leaving the jonin with one Kuroi.

The opponent crossed his arms, his voice only a mutter. "It wouldn't be fun to destroy you so early. Your mind is as traumatized as Chiisai's."

Kakashi glared at Kuroi but kept silent. Chiisai's father was going to break his own daughter's mind down piece by piece, brick by brick until all sanity had been stripped. He had waited a decade and would wait more as long as it helped appease his lust for revenge.

Koroi gestured as he spoke. "Personally, I find it entertaining that you believe you can convince my daughter she's dreaming. Watching her sanity crumble at your hands is much more convenient than doing it myself." He flexed his hand. "I'm a busy Baku anyway."

"Like I said before, you underestimate her." Kakashi was calm as he tried to retain any piece of information Kuroi spilled from his lips.

"Oh really?" Kuroi smirked at Kakashi, lifting an eyebrow as he spoke. "I'm not the one who has to rely on a rather weighty gamble. The only way you know how to defeat me is through Chiisai, which in itself is laughable." He voice strengthened as he continued on. "You are the only person Konoha can depend on as their village crumbles within their own walls, and you barely know anything!" He laughed. "The idiocy of the situation is truly remarkable!"

Kuroi turned away from him then, lifting a hand in farewell. "I'll let you come up with something better then. Go find my daughter if you can, Hatake. I'll be waiting."

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Chiisai stared at Ibiki, her eyes wide with shock. "You…Want to know what?"

Ibiki watched her carefully, noting her rigid posture. He leaned forward, his face set like stone. "Your father and mother died a week a part. Your father's autopsy could not pinpoint a cause for such a thing. I would like to know if you have any information regarding that incident."

"Well…I…" she stammered, not sure what to say. She was positive Ibiki could hear her heart thundering against her sternum. "I…I thought I made it clear during that time I had no knowledge of what was happening. I was interrogated several times." Chiisai knew she was trying to close herself off. Her feet were tucked under, her hands drew closer to her chest…She was giving herself away just by sheer body language.

Ibiki leaned against the chair, making it creak under his weight. "Yes, I have that here as well." He gestured to a file. "However," he looked into her eyes, "I am not satisfied with the reports."

She could see his eyes gaping into hers. She stifled a sob as his mouth drew open in silent cry. Ibiki's body froze as a kunai suddenly protruded from of his chest. Blood turned his clothing even darker as it spread across his now shaking form. The smell of it made bile rise in Chiisai's throat as she covered her mouth in horror.

"Chiisai." His voice snapped at her, making her blink as she suddenly gasped for air. Ibiki sat before her, a look of concern crossing his face.

"Are you alright?" His hands were pressed against the table, as if he was ready to rise from his chair. Chiisai held up a hand as she tried to control her breathing.

"I-I'm fine," she lied. "Talking about this just brings back memories. That was a hard time for me." She silently flung a string of curse words at herself. Seeing a person's nightmare wasn't uncommon. Usually when Chiisai saw someone she wasn't seeing them, rather, their dreams she watched as a child. But this…this was incredibly vivid and was melting into the present. She needed to gain control of her mind.

Ibiki studied her. She knew that answer could only hold his approval for a moment.

"I know it's hard, but any information you can give will help better equip us. Though this is a closed case, many still believe your parents were murdered. Their murderer might be coming for you."

Chiisai laced her fingers together as she set them on her lap. The table blocked Ibiki from seeing them shake. "My father slipped into a coma while he slept. Neither me or my mother knew about it until we woke up. As I-I said in the other reports, my mother was not mentally stable after that." She paused, trying to swallow as she forced the memories down. "I was the one who found her unconscious. I thought she had given up on life, and her own mindset was what killed her…"

"But you have no explanation for your father's death."

She shook her head, though her heart was pounding yes, her whole body seemed to be crying out, "I did it! I killed him!" Chiisai fought to recover from her emotional state. She had to become an empty shell, just like back then. Don't think, don't feel. It was an accident. Just keeping convincing yourself it was an accident.

"I need you to tell me the truth," his voice rose with a warning. "I do not mind getting the answer by force."

Chiisai closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was time to mix truth with lies. She would get in trouble, but it was better than her other options. Chiisai's voice was clear as she confessed, "My dad was selling top secret information to other villages. He started during the Third Great Shinobi War."

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_Note: Pssssssst. Hey you. Yeah, you. I suggest you review before I throw a purple pentapus at you. You'll get pentapox and have to be chased out of the city. Naw, but please review (if you don't want pentapox)! ^^ That's from Avatar the Last Airbender by the way. It's a pretty fantastic show._


	10. This Is Reality

The moments of sheer panic had passed, taking with it all sense of emotion. "I don't know why he turned on the village, and I don't know who all he told. He did it during missions, I do know that."

"This is a serious revelation. We have no idea what secrets have been exposed. Whatever you know needs to be said right now."

Chiisai didn't meet his gaze. She had turned into a shell, resorting to her fifteen year old self. "What secrets my father had were buried with him 10 years ago."

In a flash, Ibiki grabbed her by the collar, hoisting her three feet in the air. "I will not let you stand between the safety of this village. You will tell me, even if I have to get Inoichi to pry inside your head," he warned.

She stared down at him, contemplating Ibiki's actions with a look of indifference. "You're like my father, except he never distinguished friend from foe. In the end, everyone became his enemy. The torture you'll put me through will seem insignificant compared to what he did to me. I know what pain is, and I'm telling you the truth."

She wore her expression as dark and cold as his eyes. The silence hung like death on the battlefield. It seemed to expand the longer they stared. Slowly, he loosened his hold, letting her land on the floor.

He walked away, his boots making the only noise in the room. "I know you're hiding something, and I will find out what it is. I always do."

He came in fifteen minutes later. Behind him followed Inoichi. She lifted her head, ready to face the inevitable. She was no match for them. Struggling would be pointless. Outsmarting them was a joke. Her power had been sealed off, but not her memories. If they discovered what she really knew, she might end up dead in the next 48 hours. Of course, if Hatake got to her, she'd be dead anyway.

"Remain seated," Inoichi instructed.

She obeyed. The closer they came, the faster her heart beat. This really was it. But if they found out about who helped the Third seal her powers… Well, it was too late already. He could take care of himself.

Glancing down at her hands, Chiisai spoke. "I guess it's hard having to do these things all the time. Torturing people, looking into their minds…I bet it took a while for you both to sleep soundly at night. You lay there and try to convince yourself you're doing it for the village, that what you're doing is justifiable though it makes you a monster. Sacrifice is hard, isn't it?" Her words were slow and eerily calm.

They didn't respond. She felt their presence as if they were the Hokage Monument towering over the village. Inoichi placed his hand on her head, his fingers curling all the way around. They were going to find out everything. Then once all information was drained out of her, she would turn into a liability….And then would be erased from existence.

"Close your eyes."

Taking a deep breath, Chiisai took one last look at the room. Would she die in here, in this room that sucked up all hope behind its walls? Her eyes closed, and she at once noticed how light his touch was. She expected to feel it would weigh her down, like his hand would crush what little courage she felt in her heart.

The woman braced herself for what was to come, but suddenly the room echoed a thousand birds' cries. It reverberated off the walls, making her think of birds clawing against cages. A light made her see red under her eyelids. Her hands crashed against her ears as she bowed her head to her chest.

It was over as quick as it began. Hesitantly, she lowered her hands, trying to will herself to open her eyes.

"Chiisai."

His voice startled her, making her blink in surprise. Instead of Inoichi, Kakashi stood before her. His Sharingan showed red against his pale skin, like blood spilled on fresh snow. Her eyes darted downward where Ibiki had fallen. In his chest was a gaping hole. The smell of burning blood filled the air as tendrils of smoke rose from the edges of the hole. She covered her mouth, her eyes unable to tear away from the sight before her.

"You-you killed him."

"He's not real." The man reached for her, but she drew back in the chair.

Fear crossed her face. "Who are you?"

For a moment, his eyes were filled with pain.

"Are you going to kill me?"

Blinking down at her, he responded calmly, "No, but I need you to come with me."

Shaking her head, she replied, "You're going to have to used your Sharingan for that."

She knew then it really was Hatake, because that's exactly what he did.

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The next time she opened her eyes, she found herself lying on the ground. It was dark, and the shadows seemed to rise before her, flitting in and out like smoke from a burning candle.

She sat up quickly, drawing her knees in. One of the shadows slunk closer, and for a second she thought she was living a nightmare.

"Chiisai," the shadow spoke.

Kakashi emerged out of the darkness, his face weary. Blood stained his vest. He stopped a few feet from her, noticing her anxiety. He sighed before plopping down on the ground. "You're father," he spoke while rummaging through a pocket, "does not make things easy."

She watched him pull out a first aid kit. Her memory opened up like a music box, pouring out the notes of her dreams. Grabbing her head, she asked, "What are you talking about?"

He lifted his pant leg, where a gash ran above his knee. Without looking at Chiisai, he said, "You know what I'm talking about, but you're too scared to admit it."

She could see him when she closed her eyes. Handing her a book, carrying her down a hall, his face full of her fresh sneeze…

"You remember, don't you?"

Her black eyes gaped at him. She shifted away, her voice small in the darkness. "I don't understand…Or know…I don't know what's going on."

"What do you think is going on?" He continued to stitch his wound.

Her eyes followed the needle between his fingers, entering and exiting as it pulled his skin together. "You want me for some reason, and the village is covering it up. Maybe you uncovered something my dad did. Maybe you think I have information, or that I have something. I think you're crazy."

"Ah, but you're the one who can't distinguish what's reality and what's a dream. Maybe you should rethink your hypotheses."

She straightened abruptly, appalled by his words. "How would you know, huh? What do you want from me?"

Sighing once more, Kakashi knotted the threat and finished the suture. "The seal holding your abilities broke."

She closed her eyes. "Stop."

"You're in a dream, and your father's behind it."

She glared at him as her voice hardened. "No. This is real. I don't know how you found out about my abilities, but they aren't coming back. You can't have it." She pointed a finger at the ground. "This is real life."

"Well, I'm afraid to disappoint you, but what you believe is a lie. The seal broke when you were assaulted."

"No! That was just a dream!" She shouted.

He turned to her. "You do remember. I saw it in your eyes at the library."

"NO! Get away from me!" She stumbled back. The memories wouldn't go away. She was a tapestry unraveling, and she couldn't stop it. "You only knew my dream because you used your Sharingan on me! Stop trying to trick me!"

He rose. "Innocent people are getting hurt. Your father is going to take over every mind in Konoha and put them under his control. He's using your power, and you need to stop him."

She lowered her head as her body sagged. "No, he's dead."

His eye softened briefly. "You didn't kill him, Chiisai."

"I did," she said plainly. "I went inside his subconscious. I wanted to change him. But he never woke up again."

He dwelled on this for a moment before responding. "Then you must have unknowingly let him inside your mind."

Shaking her head, she rebutted, "That's impossible. What you're saying is impossible." Her voice softened. "He would have noticed. He would have known."

Blinking down at her, Kakashi asked, "He who?"

"Nothing," she whispered. "It was sealed because I started hurting people, including myself. I couldn't control it." She paused. "Why am I telling you this?"

He changed the subject. "Do you remember writing to kill you if I saw you in my dream?"

She nodded slowly. "…In the dream."

"What would happen if I killed you in your dream?"

Pathetically, she laughed, "I'd end up like my father- a vegetable. Body functioning but mind completely gone."

His voice was calm. "Is that what you did to him?"

She didn't respond. Rather, she slowly stood up with her back toward him. "I want you to stay away from me. Leave me alone before something bad happens."

"You know I won't leave. You are dreaming, but you're afraid of losing control of everything if it proves true. You fear your own sanity."

Chiisai sighed, for she was in a turbulence of emotions. She wanted to be right. But his words pierced her, which scared her even more. Trusting Hatake was a risk she couldn't take, no matter how much she desired it. Her eyes found his as she laced her words with poison. Bitterly, regretfully, she began tearing his psyche down piece by piece. "Kakashi of the Sharingan, the Copy Ninja, the Friend Killer. You are red for two reasons. The first because you chose to abandon a comrade, which resulted in the death of another. The second because you rescued the comrade that you, in the beginning, wanted to abandon. Her rescue ended with her death- by driving your electrified hand right through her chest."

His eye shown wide, his body frozen like deer caught in headlights.

She turned away, not letting him see the tears in her eyes. "You didn't keep your promise to him. You left him to die and then killed the only girl he ever loved. You killed the very girl you vowed to protect. You're nothing but trash."

But it had to be done. She needed to get away from him, to stop his lies from seeping into her mind. This was reality. Reality was always bitter and cruel.

His words were full of anguish, cutting into Chiisai's heart as he spoke. "It's true that I'm trash, but those that abandon their comrades are worse than trash. I was that in the past, but that doesn't mean I haven't learned from it." His voice gained strength as he said, "I won't abandon another comrade, and neither will I abandon you."

She stood still, her widening eyes hiding in the darkness. Suddenly, she sank to her knees as she cried, "You're not supposed to say that!" Her shoulders began to shake as she tried to keep back the shattering of her heart. "Just leave me alone! Do you know what it's like to open your eyes not knowing what's reality? To see everything as if it didn't exist, like it's a figment of your imagination? Or have your mother screaming that you're possessed, fearing her own child? Everything you think and feel is a lie, and you have nothing to anchor you down. You're constantly drifting with no place to go. You question your own existence. Is this even real? Are you real, Farm Boy?"

Kakashi stood next to her. Gently, he laid his hand on her shoulder as her body trembled with her sobs. "No!" She screamed. She pulled away from him. Her hand met his chest as she yelled once more, "Stay away!"

The palm of her hand pressed against him. As she yelled, a gust of wind seemed to hit Kakashi, pushing him ten feet back. He fell, his eye gaping at Chiisai.

She stared at him. Her teary eyes then traveled to her hand as she stared at it in shock. With a look of horror, she managed to whisper, "I am dreaming." Then her world came crashing down.

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Before they could move, their surroundings dissolved around them, leaving nothing but grey. The air grew heavy around them as a voice filled the void. "I'm impressed. Shall I let the fun begin then?"

Chiisai stepped back, her legs barely holding her up. She knew that voice. Then Kakashi was telling the truth.

Kakashi glanced at Chiisai. Her eyes were constricted, her mouth open as she staggered back. As he tried to reach her, a wall sprung up. It encircled him, alienating him in darkness. He struck the wall with each jutsu, trying to break through. The impenetrable wall stood tall as it deflected each attack. The ninja drew a deep breath as he stopped to gather his bearings. He would have to play along with Kuroi's games until he could figure a way out. Mental attacks were needed to win. But his breath caught in his throat as he turned around. His back struck the wall, his logic vanishing at the sight in front of him though he knew it wasn't real. Rin and Obito stood smiling as they said in unison, "Hi Kakashi!"


	11. Family and Friends

He took in a sharp breath as he gazed down at his teammates. They stood at a training ground as the Sun graced their backs. Rin's eyes were filled with concern as she said, "Kakashi, is everything alright?"

"You're not real," he breathed, his heart pounding in his chest. Frowning at Kakashi, Obito remarked, "Why are you acting so weird?" His lips spread into a grin as a thought accord to him. "Hah! The great Kakashi has finally cracked!"

"Obito!" Rin scolded as she placed her hands on her hips. "Something's really wrong with Kakashi! He could be sick!"

A blush crossed the Uchiha's face as he pouted. "Sorry."

Rin touched Kakashi's arm, her face reflecting her worry. "Do you have a fever? Maybe you ate something bad."

The white-haired ninja blinked at his comrades at eye level. He glanced down at himself. His hand went to his eye. There was no scar, no Sharingan. He was the same age as Obito and Rin. "I…This is a dream," he tried to convince himself. But her touch and the breeze felt real enough. No, this was Kuroi's doing.

"Obito, you made it early!" Minato appeared before them with a pleasant smile. "Are you all ready to train?"

"Sensei, I think something's wrong with Kakashi," Rin said. Obito frowned once more as he placed his hands behind his head.

"Oh?" Minato blinked down at Kakashi. With a laugh, he replied, "Kakashi, it looks like you've seen a ghost!"

"Sensei…" Kakashi whispered with wide eyes. This was Kuroi's doing…But who was Kuroi again?

Minato stopped, this time blinking his blue eyes down at his student. "Hmm…" he frowns. "You do look a little pale."

Kakashi took a step back in confusion. Why was he here? He was trying to get to someone- that much he knew for sure. But each breath he exhaled seemed to take with it all memory. For a second he managed to grasp onto a name, a mission, and a cat named bird. "I'm…Where's Chiisai?"

"Chiisai? You mean the lady who made us find her cat yesterday?" Rin asked.

"Why do you wanna know where she is?" Obito raised an eyebrow at him. "Didn't you say that was the most boring mission you've ever done?"

"But what about the dream?" He knew there was something about a dream. He was older, and had Obito's Sharingan then. But that sounded absurd. He wouldn't steal the Sharingan; Obito hadn't even awakened it yet. Unless…

No, Obito was dead. Rin was dead. Minato Sensei was dead. This wasn't real. Kakashi squeezed his eyes shut, trying to erase the images before him. No matter how much he wished it, no matter how much he desired it, all of this was an illusion. But when he opened his dark eyes, his team still stared at him. Konoha still sat before him, the breeze still ruffling his clothes.

"Kakashi," Minato placed a hand on his shoulder, "Maybe you were just having a bad dream."

"A…Bad dream?" The ninja looked up at his Sensei, his eyes showing bewilderment.

"Whoa, there really is something wrong with you," Obito whispered as he gazed at Kakashi. Rin elbowed him, though her face showed the same expression.

"Rin…Obito," Minato began. "I want you both working on concentrating your chakra by the river. Remember what I told you about chakra control, especially you, Obito. The goal is to be able to stand on the water. I'll be there in a minute."

"Yes Sensei," both said in unison. They took one last glance at Kakashi before walking away.

"Kakashi, I'm always here if you need to talk. You know that, right?" He smiled softly as his student.

"Sensei…" He closed his eyes. "No, you're dead. Everyone's dead." His voice was hard.

Minato crouched down to face Kakashi at eye level. "Do I look dead to you?" The blonde asked gently.

"No…" He tried to grasp the truth, but the task was easier said than done. In the end it became impossible, like catching a biju by the tail. "I can't remember."

A cry pierced their ears as Obito fell into the water. Rin's giggles filled the air as she helped him up. The familiar sounds pierced Kakashi, twisting itself inside him.

"Are you sure it wasn't a dream?"

"…I guess it was." He glanced up at Minato, and for some reason his heart caught in his chest. Not knowing why, the young boy said, "I've missed you, Sensei." Then he walked off to join his teammates, leaving the surprised ninja blushing.

Kakashi didn't know why, but for some reason he felt like he hadn't seen his comrades in a long time. He shook the feeling away and began the training, knowing he'd beat Obito like always.

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"_Sweetie, what are you doing? Get away from the ledge!" Her mother cries._

_The girl's hand presses against the side of the open window. She turns her head to look back. "I'm waking up. I don't want to dream anymore."_

"_Chiisai," her mom says with tears in her eyes. "Honey, you're not dreaming. I promise. Now please get off the window seal before you hurt yourself."_

"_No! I wanna see my real mommy!" Chiisai cries before jumping off. Her mother lets out a shriek as she rushes to the window, but it's too late. She looks wildly outside, screaming her daughter's name frantically. Chiisai's small body falls through the air, the wind whipping at her clothing and hair._

_At the last second, as the people on the street come rushing towards her, a ninja jumps up and encircles his arms around Chiisai. He lands on the ground roughly, his breath heavy as he looks down at her._

"_Chiisai?!" Her father gapes at his daughter in shock. "What were you thinking?!"_

"_Let me wake up!" She screams. The child writhes under his grip, trying to break free. His grip on her tightens as he kicks off, causing dust to stir up. Kuroi lands in front of his wife. She takes their daughter in her arms before he can say anything. Her long fingers press hard into Chiisai's skin. "DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT!" She screams at Chiisai. "DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN!" Her body shakes with her weeping as she pulls Chiisai closer. Barely audible, she says, "Don't you ever scare me like that again, Chiisai."_

_That was when the madness had first begun._

Chiisai stood in her old room, watching her memories light up around her like a lit cigarette on oil. She grabbed her head, trying to take control of her mind, to take back what was hers from the start. But she was powerless in the gloom of her past regrets, and it forced her to her knees.

"_Have you heard what she's been saying?! We have to take her to a doctor! Geez, Kuroi, she tried to kill herself!" She cries into her hands. "I can't go on like this. I can't watch my child go through this. I don't want it to get worse!"_

"_How can it get any worse, Gina?! If we take her to get this checked out and they find out her ability, they'll take her away! Do you know how many people would be after her?!" He runs his hands through his dark hair roughly. "Goddammit," he breathes._

"_I just don't want to lose her, Kuroi. I'm going crazy just trying to convince her every morning she's in real life! Her teacher's beginning to ask questions, and all I can say is that she's over imaginative. How do you explain your daughter believes she can fly?! She broke her arm for heaven's sake!"_

_He shakes his head before giving his wife an exasperated look. Finally, he takes her face in his hands, his thumb wiping her tears away. She looks up at him, the anguish clearly written on her face._

"_We'll just have to take her out, honey. She can't be trusted beyond the walls of this house." He shakes his head. "I've already nailed her window shut and she can't do much with a broken arm. We'll think of something." He embraces his wife as he pulls her closer against him. "It's going to be alright, Gina."_

_He lied._

"Stop!" Chiisai screamed within herself. She needed to get out. She needed to find Kakashi. This is her mind, she told herself. She has control. Saying it didn't help. The memories continued to batter her inside and out, ravaging her like a rowboat amidst a hurricane.

"_Is this true, Chiisai?"_

_She nods, not meeting her father's gaze. "I-I did like you told me. I wrote the dreams down. I don't know the people's names, but I can describe them to you if you want."_

_Kuroi blinks back to the journal, its entries scrawled in barely legible handwriting. But the information is still clearly seen, the secrets exposed. "How does it work?"_

_She's surprised at the question. Small Chiisai rubs her arm. "Well, when I go to sleep they come. It never stops, and I can't remember a lot of them, but I know it happened. Some are real scary, and it hurts my head sometimes. Sometimes they're just like real life."_

"_Have you ever tried learning to control it?" Her father seems fascinated by the information before him, noting the potential the information brings. "I really enjoy reading your journals," he says slowly._

_She beams at her father, wanting to prove herself to him, and he knows it. "I can try! I once left a dream on my own. It's hard, but I can do it!" She smiles. "I'm getting better!"_

"_Oh?" That catches his attention. "When was that?"_

_Chiisai hesitates, but seeing the curiosity in his eyes, she says, "When I was in your dream."_

_And that was when the fear began, when her parents became afraid of their own daughter._

The scene changes yet again, branding itself inside her heart as her emotions rush against her. There is no stopping this madness.

"_Leave me alone!" Chiisai screams at the door._

"_Dammit, Chiisai! Give me the goddamn journals!"_

"_No! I know what you did, and I won't let you betray the village!" Tears stain her cheeks as she tries to control her sobs._

_The door bursts open, her father bolting in in a rage of fury. Her mother rushes towards her husband and grabs his sleeve. "Please," she cries. "Don't hurt her!" He yanks away, shoving the woman to the ground. Kuroi glares at his daughter who stands in a corner._

"_Were you in my fucking mind?!" His body shakes with anger. "I told you to never step foot inside my head!"_

"_N-No," she whispers. "I-I-" But that's as far as she gets. Her father grabs her and punches her, sending her flying on the bed._

_He stalks toward her. "Give me the goddamn information, Chiisai."_

_She shakes her head as one hand holds her swollen cheek. "I-I don't have them." Her body is shaking from either fear or adrenaline, she doesn't know which and doesn't notice. "I'm not le-letting you hurt this village."_

_Kuroi slaps her before pinning her to the mattress. With one hand, he forms several signs. "Genjutsu it is then."_

_From then on, he starts using genjutsu to steal her dream secrets._

_After that, Chiisai cuts the sides of belly. The pain makes her cringe with each breath, but it also makes her stay awake. However, there are consequences when she doesn't dream. Kuroi makes Chiisai watch him beat her mother. She can't handle her mother's cries, and she can't face seeing the bruises every day. She can't stand watching her mother getting drunk each night to drown it all away. Chiisai gives in to his demands. The house becomes her prison. She dreads each time she opens her eyes to a new day of torture. _

"STOP IT!" Her voice scratched her throat. Her nails dug into her skin, making blood form in crescent lines. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't escape. Her body spasmed with the effort, putting every ounce of energy she had into making the memories stop. They flickered for a moment and then vanished.

She collapsed in the darkness, her lungs desperate for air. Chiisai managed to open her eyes, but to her horror, she finds herself unable to move. Glued to the ground, the memories spilled from the ceiling, seeming to drown her with her own pain.

"_You put him in a coma! You're not my daughter, you're a monster!"_

"_I'm the monster?! Who was the one that beat you without remorse? He was a tyrant and traitor to the village! He made our lives hell!"_

"_He is my husband and you're father! Now get out of my dream, you bitch!"_

"_Dammit- I'm glad he's in a fucking coma! I came here because you're too drunk during the day to even respond, mother! I didn't mean for all of this to happen! I just want you to see-"_

"_I love him!" Her mother screams. "How would you know anything?! You've never loved anyone and no one's ever loved you!" She spits. "You caused all of this! You're what has torn this family apart!"_

_Chiisai is taken aback. Her mother fumes before her with no regrets hiding in her eyes. Chiisai's hands ball into fists. Bitterly, she whispers, "I hope you drink yourself to death. I hope you end up like him and leave me be forever!"_

_And that's exactly what her mother did._

Tears streamed down Chiisai's face. "Please," she begged into the air. "I can't do this." Her insides were numb, her heart hollowed out. All the pain and guilt had been ripped from the inside and brought forth before her eyes. Chiisai slowly gave in, letting go of what little fight she had left.

She thought of the people trapped within their dreams, trapped because of her father, no- because of her. Her thoughts switched to Kakashi as the tears slid down her face. They deserved better, so much better. She wasn't a heroine. She wasn't even a ninja. She was just a librarian. She deserved this.

But they didn't.

Her eyes closed as her mouth barely formed the words. "Help me."

There was nothing. Maybe a whispered laughter, who she assumed to be her father. "Anyone?" She whispered in the darkness, her lips quivering. "I can't do this."

Then her eyes flew open as her stomach lurched. She felt her belly swelling, moving up her neck as she choked. Her esophagus expanded, making Chiisai's eyes water as she convulsed. Her mouth opened, and something emerged from her lips.

She saw silky darkness. She felt feathers.

Red eyes glinted in the void. Her body suddenly seemed lighter, and she slowly staggered to her feet. A crow hovered before her. It let out a caw as it expanded. The crow's eyes staid in place as the blackness elongated, taking the shape of a human.

Her eyes grew wide as he transformed before her. She recognized him instantly, remembering the first time someone noticed her in their dreams.

His red eyes bore into hers. His expression was weary as he landed in front of her silently.

"It's broken then, hasn't it?" he was calm as he stepped toward her.

She stepped back, not believing what she saw. "Itachi?"

The edges of his lips spread slightly as he heard his name. "Hello, friend."

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_Thank you all who have read, followed, favorited, and reviewed. It makes me super happy! For real though, you guys are freaking awesome!_


	12. Two Crows

"What- what just happened?"

"I left my chakra inside you after sealing your ability. It seemed to have stirred at your calling," Itachi noted. He looked around, taking in their lack of setting. "How bad is it?"

"Itachi, I've ruined everything. The seal broke when I got a concussion, and, well, remember that dark thing inside my head?" She paused. "It was my father. He's using my power to take over the minds of the villagers. None of them will wake up, and Kakashi and I are trapped inside my mind." She shook her head and said brokenly, "My father's using my power. I don't know how to get it back. Please," her voice pleaded, "I need your help."

He blinked at the familiar name, though he didn't seem surprised. "Kakashi?"

She nodded. "He's- well, I'm not sure. We were separated, and I can't get to him." Her hands covered her face. "I can't do it," her voice breaks. "No matter how hard I try, I can't do anything. It's been too long."

Itachi stepped forward and gently placed his hands on her wrists. He guided them away from her tear-stained face, coaxing her out of hiding. His thumb traced Chiisai's jawline before cupping her chin, taking her focus away from her doubts. His touch made the pain go away, and she slowly raised her gaze to his Sharingan.

"You always seem to be doubting yourself, Chiisai. Remember what you accomplished for the village back then?"

Letting out a groan, she mumbled, "Yeah, right after I killed my parents." She froze, regretting the sentence as soon as it came out. "Itachi, I'm so sorry. You, well, I didn't mean-"

He let out a soft laugh, more breath than voice. "Still struggling with socializing I see." He shook his head, meeting her eyes as he said, "You haven't changed a bit, Chiisai. How can you face the present when you cannot accept the past?"

She averted her gaze, whispering, "How did you do it? How did you move on?"

"The past can't be undone, no matter how much you wish it." He dropped his hand, leaving her yearning for his warmth. "You must accept it as it is, Chiisai. Being stuck in the past only leads to isolation and a dark existence. It will take over your present and future, and it will slowly consume you."

Her hands held her arms as she confessed, "I'm so scared. I'm not a ninja, I wasn't trained for this." She says piteously, "Can't you reseal me?"

Itachi stared at her for a moment, regarding her familiar black eyes that could not hide her desperation. Then shaking his head, the Uchiha replied, "My chakra would not be enough. You must deal with your own demons, Chiisai."

Her head dropped, causing her hair to spill over her face. "Then we're all doomed."

His fingers brushed the hair back, leading them behind her ear as he reassured her. "You must protect the village like you sought to do when we were comrades. You do not know how powerful you really are."

"I know all of this. You're telling me things I already know, but you saying them makes me feel better." She took a deep breath as her hands balled into fists. "Okay, I can do this. I have to be able to do this."

Itachi went rigid for a moment, catching her off guard. His voice was urgent as he said, "Your father is aware of my presence. It won't be long before I use up my chakra as well. Chiisai, you are the only one that can end this. Protect the village like I have done. This is your dream- what you believe, you create."

She broke away from him. "Easier said than done, Itachi! How do I stop him, just believe he doesn't exist?!"

"No," he squeezed her hand, "you must believe in yourself."

The air shook around them as a low rumble encompassed the void. "One more piece of advice before I leave. Once you find Kakashi and defeat Kuroi, you will have to cut off your mind from everyone else's. Once you wake up, it would be wise to start working under the Hokage. Others will find out about your power. You will be protected under Lady Tsunade."

"Always thinking about others, Itachi. You really could have been Hokage."

"That was not my destiny," he smiles sadly. The rumbling grew louder as Itachi began to fade. "I have chosen my Will of Fire, now you must choose yours." He gazed at her once more, his fingertips lingering on hers. That simple touch left her in a hazy glow that pushed away her fears. Itachi smiled once more. She tried to hold on to him, wanting the confidence he had in her to be in herself. But the louder she shouted his name, the faster he faded. Then he was gone, leaving her in blackness that seemed darker and emptier than before.

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The rumbling deepened, resonating inside her chest. Knowing she was dreaming and feeling encouraged by Itachi, Chiisai did the first thing that came to mind. She drew upon the memories of her dreams, of her creations during her past lucidities. She remembered the dreams of others, of children in the village who wanted to rise beyond the stars and shoot straight to the moon. She remembered the nightmares she had coaxed into pleasant dreams, silently protecting those who were asleep. And though she wanted nothing to do with villagers during the day, she knew everyone in one of the most intimate levels possible- through the images they projected while they slept.

That had been her escape when it had all began. When Kuroi started using her for information, when her life began its torturous spiral, Chiisai had fled to other's dreams. There, she decided to tame the power within her, attempting to regain her sanity. Helping and guiding them had given her a sense of purpose, filling her with a happiness that was unattainable once she opened her eyes. Chiisai was the gardener of their subconscious, always pruning and watering them until they bloomed into wondrous dreams. And it was beautiful.

Until she unknowingly let her father into her mind. Their dreams slowly shriveled and faded, and she along with it. Their nightmares sucked her in like a black hole, setting her at center stage. Then she herself began having nightmares that seeped into everyone else. Chaos ruled in the dream world, and what Chiisai had thought to be her purpose in life became the bane of her existence.

And this made her angry. It was her father who made her hate the light of day, and it was he who made her hate her powers at night. And though she could live with that for herself, she would not let anyone else suffer- even if it was her fault to begin with.

_I have chosen my Will of Fire, now you must choose yours._

Chiisai rose to her feet. She extended a hand, her palm faced out, as she steeled herself for what was to come. Eyes closed, mind focused, Chiisai clenched her fingers into a fist. The air around her shattered into a thousand fragments, slowly spinning like broken glass. The woman thought of Itachi, of his unconditional warmth masked by his false hatred, of his voluntary sacrifice that caused his life to crumble around him.

The rumbling began once more, causing the air to shake as it vibrated. Chiisai centered her focus back to when she pierced children's nightmares and turned them into moments of soaring through the sky. Knowing what had caused the darkness inside her mind fueled her with energy.

The fragments shot out like shurikens as she flexed her hand. They rose in the air, flying at an incredible speed until they burst like fireworks before her eyes. The sound silenced the quaking air. The lights cascaded down around Chiisai, repainting the void so it became an endless valley full of blooming red flowers.

Her toes dug into soft dirt as her fingers traced over the petals around her. She had once created a dream world free of fear, free of pain and suffering.

It was time it happened again.

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"Ughhhh," Chiisai groaned as she trudged on through her mind. Finding Kakashi had been harder than she previously thought, and in the dream world, her steps could continue endlessly on. She halted, scratching her head as she looked around. Her influence had created an eternal valley of red blossoms without any exit in sight.

"It was so easy back then," She muttered. Plopping down in the flowers, Chiisai ran a hand through her disheveled hair. She thought of Itachi again, of his words that had seemed so confident. To him, it wasn't _if_ she would defeat her father, but _when._

Closing her eyes, Chiisai concentrated on finding Kakashi. She pictured him in his jonin uniform, his headband covering one eye. His posture was slouched as always as he gave her an exasperated sigh.

She felt a shadow cross over her. Distracted, Chiisai opened one eye. She jumped back with a yelp. Far ahead, the flowers were dissolving in the wind, floating like ashes.

She felt it before she saw it- the oily darkness heading straight for her. Everything she had created withered in its wake. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to focus on finding Kakashi. Clamping her sweaty palms on her thighs, Chiisai concentrated all her energy on Kakashi. "I need to find Kakashi Hatake," she whispered frantically. "Take me to Kakashi!"

She opened her eyes, which was a mistake. The darkness let out a shrill hiss as it came faster, only 200 meters away. Cursing under her breath, Chiisai got up and ran for dear life. She wasn't brave, and she wasn't a ninja. "Kakashi Hatake," She practically screamed. "Take me to him! Damn it, dream powers! Work!"

The bubbling blackness shot out at her, grabbing her ankle as she landed face first into the ground. The contact it had with her made her shudder. It forced all the memories on her at once as if it was a manifestation of all her past regrets. _You killed them. You did this. It's all your fault, Chiisai. Just give up. Your father's already won. _Itachi's words died within her as her heart bled out with guilt.

With one last effort, as the darkness raised one slimy tendril in the air, she whimpered, "Farm-boy. I need Farm-boy."

The creature let down its black fist, causing what was left of the red flowers to disintegrate into ashes. It let out an angry cry as it looked around, but Chiisai was nowhere in sight.

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It was like someone had forgotten to turn on the light. Chiisai mentally searched for an on switch, trying to figure out what had just happened. Maybe she got sucked into the black thing, or maybe this was where Kakashi was. It didn't fill her with fear though. It was just…quiet…like everything was dormant.

Her hand pressed against something soft. Instincts took over, and she pressed her body against it. It melded with her, causing the light switch to turn on as everything came to life.

She opened her eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. She took a breath of air, feeling the metal under her fingers. Someone had their large clammy hand on her forehead and it was kind of annoying. Lifting her hand to push it off, she was greeted with a gasp.

"Kakashi?" She spoke his name and was shocked to hear someone else's voice.

"Kakashi?"

Confused, she looked up to see Inoichi towering over her. The arm she had grabbed onto was his. He studied her as he asked, "What happened?"

"Um…" She sat up, rubbing her forehead. She felt metal and cloth. Confused, she felt her face all the way down to her masked nose and lips. Startled, Chiisai glanced down at herself. A jonin uniform met her eyes. Surely she hadn't…

"What the hell?!" She screamed. She turned to Inoichi, who seemed just as confused as her. "Is this happening? Am I dreaming?" Hearing Kakashi's voice come out of her mouth, well, his mouth, damn, this was confusing.

"Who are you?" His hard eyes slowly softened, his eyebrows raised up as he asked, "Chiisai?!"

"So this is real?" She covered her mouth, still surprised to hear Kakashi's voice.

"Where's Kakashi?"

Her gloved hand raked through her messy silver hair. "Well, we were separated. I wanted to find him, and well, now I'm here…Inside his body." She shivered, trying not to think about it. Oh, no, she was in a man's body, penis and everything. And not just any man, but Kakashi! "Are you the only awake person in here?" She attempted to distract herself from her new man parts. Whoa, her actual body was right beside her…She looked like hell.

He nodded. "More people have fallen asleep. It's more chaotic than before. Other villages somehow found out, which has put the Fire Nation in a vulnerable position."

"Okay, I'm going back." She laid back down. "This never happened, okay? Once I find Kakashi, the mission will proceed without delay. I'll bring Kakashi back to his body and restore everyone's mind." She gave him a reassuring grin, and then realized the mask covered it. Instead, she did what Kakashi would have done, crinkling his eye up in a smile.

Inoichi, though unsure, nodded.

Chiisai detached herself from Kakashi's mind, allowing his body to go dormant once more. In complete darkness, she focused once more on Kakashi. The last time she had concentrated too much on his physical appearance. This time, Chiisai sought Kakashi in his purest form, of his dreams and fears and annoyances, his strong sense of loyalty and convictions to protect those he cared for. This was the Kakashi she needed right now.

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Sunlight hit her face, and she covered her eyes. Blinking around, Chiisai had no idea where she was. It seemed to be another village, a small but bustling town under the afternoon Sun. Children ran by her, chasing after each other as merchants yelled prices of goods. The smell of steaming food filled the air as she walked through the market. Kakashi had to be here somewhere. She didn't mess up again, did she?

Chiisai walked on, inching herself through the crowds as she looked around. Finally at the end of the market, Chiisai went to the edge of the woods and sat down on a semi-comfortable rock. She didn't see the jonin at all. Propping her head on her hand, Chiisai tried once more. "I need Farm-boy," she whispered with eyes closed. "Dream powers, you've worked before, and I know you can work again. I believe it. Now let me find Kakashi!"

"There you are."

Chiisai, surprised, opened her eyes to see Kakashi in front of her. He looked exactly the same, but his expression…

"Kakashi?" She frowned. "You look…different."

"He said you were full of surprises. I don't know how you know my name, but you're coming with me." The ninja twirled a kunai in his hand before pointing it at her. "Now," he gestured with the weapon, "stand."

Slowly, she obeyed. "So…You're here to take me in?"

"Did you expect anything different?"

"Well, yes actually." She leaned forward. "Don't you recognize me at all?"

His expression didn't change. "Of course, you're the most wanted person in Konoha."


	13. Old Friends

"Well, great. I've turned into Itachi." Chiisai cautiously raised her hands up in defeat. As Kakashi stepped towards her with hand in his pocket, Chiisai flexed her small fingers. Air instantly flew from her palms, propelling Kakashi against a tree with a sharp crack. She flexed her hands once more, causing tree branches to wrap around the jonin before he could retaliate.

She turned to face the real Kakashi as he came down with kunai in hand. Chiisai narrowed her eyes as she fixed her gaze on him. The ninja stopped in midair, unable to move as Chiisai guided him down slowly. He watched helplessly as tree branches encircled his limbs and neck, making sure he was rooted in place. Once secured, she focused her eyes on the sky, leaving Kakashi writhing against his wooden restraints.

"They weren't exaggerating," Kakashi said calmly. "Your abilities far exceeded my expectations."

"Lucid dreaming really does have its advantages," she responded as she lifted her arm up to the cloudy sky. "You should try it sometime…Ya know, since you're in a dream and all that."

"So you are insane."

Without a glance, she said, "What's up is down and down is up. So I'll take your statement as a compliment, Farm Boy."

He frowned. "Farm Boy?"

Chiisai clenched her hand. The ground began to tremble, the air quaking as thunder emanated from above. She pushed harder against the dream, ramming her mind into it over and over again, trying to break Kuroi's hold on this make-believe bubble.

The wind whipped her hair up, the trees bent in obedience, and the air rumbled in defiance as she mentally attempted to cut into the dream. Finally, with sweat beading down her face, the sky started to bow towards the earth, moaning like a boat tossed at sea. But the dream was of Kuroi's doing, and it could not easily be broken.

"C'mon," she whispered hoarsely. "Just a little more…"

The clouds dipped further and further, finally slowing as the pressure became too great. "I can do this," she wheezed as she shut her eyes. "I'm more powerful than him."

A ripping sound shrieked over the wind, and she looked up to see a crack rift through the bowed blue sky. Giving a cry of relief, she squeezed her hand harder, causing the crack to expand upwards. Just a little more pressure, and it would all be shattered…

The wind was knocked out of her as she flew forward. Her concentration vanished, leaving the crack hanging in the air as the sky set back into place. Chiisai hit the ground hard, rattling her small body as she skidded on the grass. Cursing under her breath, she rolled on her back and blew a gust of air from her lips, pushing away whoever was attacking her.

"Now!"

Someone grabbed her arms, dragging her back. Chiisai closed her eyes, shutting off the rising panic. She willed wooden spikes to burst from her arm, digging into the hands that had a hold of her. There was a grunt but the person only clamped harder on her wrists, refusing to let go. A shadow flickered across her face, growing larger with each second. She glanced up to see someone coming down with hand signs at the ready. Her lungs filled with oxygen as she let out a sonic blast that rippled through the air and hit the opponent. Furious, she let out fire from her hands, causing the other person to jump back with a cry as the flames singed his skin. Now free from her captor, Chiisai willed herself to become invisible. She sprinted away silently, planning a counterattack as she shielded her already invisible self in the underbrush.

"Nice plan, Kakashi. You okay, Rin?"

"I'm fine," she nodded.

"It's not finished yet," Kakashi said. "The bingo book was way off. She's stronger than any of us ever imagined."

Chiisai's eyes widened at his words. That book was just a list of people to assassinate. Her father was using Kakashi to kill the only thing standing in his way- her. She took a deep breath, trying to keep a level head in the midst of this chaos. Dying was not an option.

"Well, let's see how well she does with my Sharingan," Obito chimed with a half grin.

"Be careful," Rin warned.

Chiisai groaned inwardly. Since the dreamer actually possessed Sharingan, it was likely someone with Sharingan in the dream…

"I got her!"

Chiisai made a run for it, trying to recall how she handled dream missions when she worked under the Third. It usually ended badly when it came to Sharingan users.

They all came at her, their bodies silhouettes as they sped towards their target at an inhuman speed. She raised a hand, stopping them in midair. But Obito was gone. Suddenly, something grabbed a hold of her waist, capturing her arms as well. "Gotcha," Obito whispered as he stepped out of his dimension.

"Don't touch her, Obito!" Rin yelled, her brown eyes wide a she landed on the ground.

But it was too late. Chiisai's skin lit up in flames, burning Obito before he could release her. She yanked away from his grip as Obito's clothes caught fire. "Shit!"

Rin made several hand signs, using a water style jutsu on Obito as fire consumed him. Kakashi continued after Chiisai, an unyielding determination set in his cold eyes. The shinobi spirit within him would not accept defeat on this mission.

She took one quick glance at the sky, how black lines cut through it as if it were a mosaic. If she could just concentrate long enough to permeate through the dream barrier, then there was hope for her after all.

Placing her hands on the ground, Chiisai drew up earth and rock, flinging them at Kakashi before she lifted up a rock dome that layered over her twice up, around, and below her feet. She redirected her mind back to the breaking sky, commanding it to crumble. But it wouldn't give under her quaking heartbeat. She took on last deep breath, blocking out everything else. Like paper torn from a book, so was the sound of the sky pulling apart from itself. Another sound struck the air, and only then did she realize it was not her doing.

Electricity exploded from the rock wall, causing Chiisai to fall to the ground. The three ninja appeared before her. Kakashi stood at the head, electricity emanating from his hand, illuminating the broken dome and the fear written on her face.

Her hand pushed forward, stopping them all. She let the wall around her fall as she backed away from her enemies. But the woman's mentality wasn't holding up like before, and within a few moments the three were on her again. Electricity radiated from Kakashi's hand, a beacon of her demise.

She only saw Kakashi's onyx eyes that radiated as much warmth as the arctic sea. There was only contempt in the eyes of the person she no longer knew. "Kakashi," she breathed. "Don't do this, Farm Boy."

Obito glanced at his comrade, his eyebrows furrowed with anger. "Why are you hesitating, Kakashi? Do you know how many people she's killed?"

Yet Kakashi continued to linger, searching Chiisai's eyes. With one last effort, she pressed her mind against the sky. It heaved a groan as the ceiling of the dream finally shattered. "Damn it!" Obito cried. He drew a kunai as the dream world crumpled down around them. He stepped in front of Kakashi as Rin evaporated away, along with the backdrop of the dream. Obito raised his kunai, the edges of his frame disintegrating as the weapon came down on Chiisai.

Blood spewed, a gasp breaking through the rumbling of the shattered dream. Obito gaped down as a hand protruded from his chest.

"You're not real," Kakashi's tone was grim. Obito gaped up at Kakashi before he dissipated to ash. The white-haired ninja staggered, breathing heavily as they were left in darkness.

"I…I thought you were going to kill me," Chiisai whispered.

Kakashi shook his head. "I almost did."

She stood up slowly. "Sorry about that. I had trouble, uh, finding you," she didn't meet his gaze. "Here, I bet you're still a little hazy from the dream." Chiisai rose awkwardly on her tiptoes and placed a hand on Kakashi's forehead. He blinked in surprise, his eyes slowly clearing as he watched her, their faces inches apart.

"There," she smiled as she removed her hand. "Feel better?"

"Thanks," he nodded. "Now what?"

"Now," she grabbed his hand, "it's time to kick ass!"

"What happened while I was stuck in that dream? The Chiisai I remembered wouldn't say such a thing," he half teased.

She gave a small snort. "The Chiisai you knew finally got sick and tired of wallowing in self-inflicted guilt. My father chose his path, and now I've chosen mine. And why are you looking at me like that?" She frowned up at him.

He smiled. "Nothing. So where is Kuroi?"

"Um…" She looked around. They were in the grey void again...And still holding hands. Chiisai took her hand away from his. She raised her hands, changing the scenery back to a field of red poppies. "I'm not sure. You think I'd be able to sense him or something, since he's using my power. Oh," she smacked her forehead. "Duh!"

Kakashi sighed, causing Chiisai to elbow him. "I'm still a bit rusty, okay? You should probably practice the whole lucid dreaming thing by the way."

"Hmm?"

She placed her hand out to demonstrate. A purple butterfly appeared. It fluttered to the nearest flower, its wings leaving a silvery trail behind it. "What you believe, you create," she explained. "You should probably practice in case something happens."

"How do you do it?"

She placed a hand on her hip. "Well, it's not like focusing your chakra. It's not about physical control or mental control, per say. You're only as creative as you allow your mind to be."

His shoulders slumped. "So it's basically the opposite of ninja training," he responded blandly.

"Kinda. You do have to focus really hard in the beginning. It gets easier," she patted his arm in reassurance. "The dream world is a mental battleground. If my father kills you, he will literally kill you," she warned.

"And you?" His tone changed, a seriousness crossing his face.

Her lips formed a tight line. "Same. My abilities can really kill people, at least their subconscious. As long as my father has my powers, you'll be useless against him."

"So why practice then?"

"Because," she looked up at him, "you can kill his minions."

"Minions…" Kakashi frowned. "Like the dark creature that night."

She nodded. "Now go ahead and try to create something small…" She placed a hand on her chin. She rocked on her tiptoes and back to the heels of her feet before saying, "Like a cupcake."

"A cupcake…" His reply was unenthusiastic.

"It doesn't matter what kind," Chiisai crossed her arms. "Just picture a cupcake, how it looks, tastes, smells." She stepped closer, showing a chocolate cupcake in her hand. "Believe in the cupcake."

Raising an eyebrow, he repeated, "Believe in the cupcake…?"

"Discriminating the cupcake's existence, Farm Boy. I'm disappointed." She shook her head. She threw her cupcake in the air, where it expanded, grew wings, and transformed into a bird. "Maybe a cupcake's too much to start out with," she mumbled to herself as she watched the bird fly away. "Maybe a feather would be easier. Or a small rock."

"Maybe this?"

She blinked back at Kakashi. In his hand sat a single rosebud, its petals as red as his Sharingan. She picked the flower from his hand, feeling the petals with the tips of her fingers. The rose sat silent between him. Kakashi gazed at Chiisai, his eye softening. The rosebud slowly vanished, leaving no trace of its existence.

"You even got the texture right on the first try. But you have to concentrate in order for it to not disappear though. Once you're distracted, it's gone. So I guess work on that." Turning away, she plopped down in the poppies. "I'm going to try to sense my father."

Sighing to himself, Kakashi took one last glimpse at her before returning to his training.

Chiisai placed her hands on her knees. Her body became aware of her power, of it flowing through her veins, pumping through her heart as she breathed slowly, letting her muscles relax. The swirling energy within her rose and fell with each inhale and exhale. With her eyes closed, she could practically see it, the colors almost lighting up behind her eyes. It traveled past her, the connecting energy searching for its counterpart across the plain of her mind, yearning to reconnect with what was stolen. It stretched on and on until finally making contact.

A darkness rose up suddenly, overpowering the strand of energy linking the two sides. Her body shook, her skin paled, and her heart sank in the dread that suddenly enveloped her, weighing her down.

"_So, Chiisai...I was wondering when you'd make the connection. I've already sent you a welcome party."_

Chiisai's eyes bolted open, cutting off the link. With a quick breath, she stood on her feet and turned to Kakashi. "Farm Boy, we have a- What are you doing?"

Kakashi lay in a floating hammock, his hand holding Icha Icha Paradise. His creations disappeared upon looking at her. He fell but rose quickly to his feet, concern crossing his face. "What is it?"

"Someone's bringing us a welcome present."

A shrill cry rang out from afar then, the black creature surfacing from the ground. The black blob of a monster faced them, larger than before. Its shadow towered over them, and the mere presence of it seemed to cool the air, sending a chill down Chiisai's spine.

A large sword appeared in Kakashi's hand. "Well," he said to Chiisai, "I guess it's time to, as you said before, kick ass."

END


	14. The Terror Within

The monster cried out for battle as oily tendrils shot out at Chiisai. They both jumped out of the way, avoiding the creature as it lashed out again and again, flowers withering with each movement it made. Electricity crackled around Kakashi's sword as he sliced down on an arm. The broken limb turned to ash as another arm shot out. The sky grew dark, the air turned sour, and still the creature continued after them, spindly arms constantly bursting from its surface to snag Chiisai up.

Chiisai spun fire from her hands, hurling it at the nightmare. "How do you kick this thing's ass?!" She yelled over the thrashing of the monster. The fire only sizzled into a hiss as the creature gave another shrill cry of hatred.

Kakashi leapt through the web of dark spindles as they hurled themselves at Chiisai. He curled his arm around her waist, pulling her tight against him as he absorbed the impact. "I was hoping you had the answer," he replied breathlessly after they hit the ground.

"Uh….Look out!" She pushed him off of her as she threw a barrier up. The monster rammed into it. Red glowing slits bore into Chiisai, rousing her fear with only its gaze. Slowly, the creature seeped through the barrier like black tears as her fear grew with each breath. The creature reformed, the sheer power of its towering presence pushing the woman to the ground. It grabbed her arm, the contact making fear flow thick like blood. Images crossed her vision, words filling her head as her heart thudded against her sternum.

_It's your fault._

_How could you do this to us?!_

_You're a monster!_

_You're a murderer._

_You deserve this._

The monster's eyes widened slightly, a gurgle choking from deep within. The black substance bubbled up like hot tar before bursting into onyx liquid that splattered to the ground. Kakashi stood where the creature had been, his sword still sparking with electricity.

"You…" Chiisai breathed as she caught herself from falling. They both stared at each other, their lungs forcing air in and out as they processed what had just happened. The metal sword disappeared. "You alright?" Kakashi extended his hand, which Chiisai gratefully took as he helped her up. She gave a short sigh of relief before replying, "Yeah…You?"

He shook his head. "That felt too easy."

"You got…goop on you." Frowning with disdain, she placed her fingers on the green fabric, wiping the leftovers of the monster away. "Ick, this is gross. It's like molasses!" She shook her hand furiously, trying to fling the black liquid off of her. "It came off of you, why won't it come off of me?!"

"Here...Wait, hold still!" Kakashi ordered as he grabbed her hand. At that moment, electricity flew from her palm, flinging the mess off and jolting the jonin.

"Oh, my bad." She covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.

Kakashi let go, his eye showing no pleasure.

"Uh," she pointed, "you're hair…Is more spiky than usual. Here," she leaned forward, "let me-"

He stepped out of her reach, placing a hand on his hair. "I think you've done enough."

"Fine, fine. No more physical contact ever again," she huffed as she crossed her arms.

"No physical contact seems a bit exaggerated."

"I enjoy hyperbole," she shot back.

He narrowed his eyes. "There's black stuff on you."

She jumped back, searching her arms. "Where?!"

"Here." Without thinking, he placed his fingers on her chest. Suddenly, they both stopped, staring at his hand for a brief moment. His hand instantly shot back as his eye widened.

"Well," she squinted suspiciously, "that was almost as awkward as your first wet dream."

His body went rigid. "You never mentioned that in your dream journals."

"Of course not!" She pulled her shirt away from her skin, her fingertips tracing electricity around the monster goop. "I was too embarrassed to write stuff like that down! For the most part at least."

"It's not coming off."

"Hmmm?" She glanced up distractedly. "Hey! Stop looking at my chest!" Her voice rose with anger. "They're not even that big!"

He shook his head, pointing at her shirt. "No, the stain. It looks bigger than before."

"Huh," she squinted at the material. "It does, doesn't it?" Chiisai glanced down at the stain once more before shrugging. "Who cares? This shirt isn't even real."

Narrowing his eyes, he added, "It's on your feet too. Do you not feel it?"

"Augh!" Chiisai jumped back as the black liquid moved up her leg. She shot electricity at it, but it only darted behind her knee, still traveling up her body.

Kakashi took a defensive stance. "It's coming for you."

She followed Kakashi's gaze. The spluttered remains of the creature slid towards her like a snake, slithering up her legs as she shot out electricity. This time, however, the creature was unaffected by it. Black globs covered her hand as Kakashi tried to free her. The droplets connected, slowly encompassing her body as she tried to move. "The lightning isn't working, Farm Boy!"

"Hold on!" Kakashi grabbed a hold of her free hand, trying to yank her out of the black mass. Slowly, she inched closer to him. The blackness grew warm again. Chiisai's eyes fluttered, her body going limp for a few moments.

"Chiisai!"

Her eyes flew open, her expression dazed as she attempted to move against the growing darkness that was now up to her neck. The thing shot out at Kakashi, pushing him away from its victim. His hand slid farther, their fingers now the only thing keeping them together.

"Kakashi, I can't…" Her onyx eyes rolled back, her body going limp.

"No!" he protested. But her fingers slid between his as the rest of her was swallowed by the monster.

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She had fallen into an abyss. No, at least she'd feel the wind rushing against her. But here there was no wind. Nothing was what met her eyes. It was a blackness so deep and dark she was blind in it. Robbed of taste and touch, Chiisai mind drifted further and further away, beyond any senses whatsoever. She lurked past the edge of oblivion, beyond any hope of seeing the light.

Light…What was that? The mere concept of the word was beautiful in itself. Light. It was a warmth that filled your soul, something that came in every form imaginable, filling your lungs and your heart and giving life. But she could not recall what light was, nor could she remember the significance of its existence.

The thought dwindled away, the darkness devouring any good thing she could conjure. Its lust for darkness overtook her, consuming the emotions rising up from her past.

But her past also held things that could not be broken so effortlessly. The connection of her heart to others remained sturdy, unyielding towards those that would oppose it. Her mind would not let go of those few, its roots far too deep to be pulled out.

Was she a monster? A murderer? Did she deserve this? These questions burned down the chains of her anchorage, weakening the connections she needed so desperately.

She had invited a madness as fierce as her denial of reality. Running all her life, Chiisai was left floating in a darkness she had created herself. What she had been running from sat at the door, waiting to make its grand entrance.

She killed him. And though it had been an accident…

She had wanted her father to die.

And then her mother…Chiisai's words were the final nail struck into the coffin. Words that seemed so little at the time pronounced her mother's death sentence. Her words of hatred and bitterness only led to a darker path.

The weight of words were never fully realized until the end.

Light…What was that again? A beautiful word and nothing more.

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An eternity had passed before something finally stirred within her. It had frightened her at first, this forgotten and unknown thing. She retracted, her body aching with movement, finally feeling something other than this utter emptiness. The stirring rose once more, tediously trying to pull her out of the nothingness. But the unknown was a scary place, and she'd rather dwell in the nothingness than risk such feelings the stirrings caused. Her fingers clawed back into the pit of her fears, yet something was happening.

The unyielding part of her heart flared up, her anchor fighting back against herself, reaching further up the branches of her body and seeking her mind. It shined red with passion, and for a moment her thoughts revived, seeing blood and flower petals and eyes that glittered with black designs. Sharingan- the people she cared about possessed it. The boy who slaughtered his clan and the man who broke a promise. Those people cared about her, no, they believed in her.

A spark struck deep within her, shining so small yet so bright against the darkness. She felt her heart pump blood within her, reminding her she was indeed alive. The spark nurtured into a flame from the red, its light reaching over the retracting darkness as it flickered around her.

Light. That was what she recognized. It had come from the ones she cared about, of the hope that sprung from their trust in her.

_No! _The darkness screamed. _You're a murderer, a monster! Look at the ones you cared about in the beginning, look what happened to them! Look what caring has led you too!_

But the light refused to dim, refused to give in. Slowly, steadily, it grew brighter, causing the darkness to retract with a screech.

_No! Those you care for will die! Everyone you touch dies! They don't care about you, they only care for the village!_

"I am a part of the village," her hoarse voice sounded foreign to her. The whisper resonated with surety. "And the monster I fear is myself."

The flame burned with new energy, pulsating like a heartbeat as it extinguished the darkness around it. The roots of her heart shined with new life as more connections sprouted.

The boy who dreamed of being Hokage.

The woman who only wished to be called beautiful.

The father who wanted to protect his children.

Their dreams she cared for and protected in the past weren't just dreams, but reflections of souls. She rose up, repairing her broken self with the healing light. She grew tired of the constant battle hidden in her mind, tired of the guilt she had thrust on herself over the years. Her voice was small as she said, "I killed my parents, though it was an accident. I can't deny what I did. But that does not make me a monster!" She shouted now, her hands in fists as she thought of Itachi.

The light shown like the Sun, the flame of passion swallowing up the darkness.

She felt a grip on her wrist, pulling her out of the dying monster. Kakashi and Chiisai stumbled out of the film of black, falling to the ground. He caught the glowing woman, and they both watched as the monster gave a shrill scream as it twisted against itself. The creature fixed its eyes on Chiisai, trying once more to call to her, to help feed the false reality she had believed for so long. But the light made it shrivel and shrink until it was nothing more but ash in the wind.

There was a moment of silence.

"I…I did it," Chiisai breathed, her eyes still gazing where the monster had last stood. "I did it!" She turned to Kakashi, her body shaking with laughter. Glowing with new life, she flung her arms around his neck. "I did it, Farm Boy!"

His body remained still, hesitating at the sheer joy spilling from her. Her carefree laughter rang like bells as red poppies sprouted up around them. Her joy effected their surroundings, the backdrop becoming bright as the Sun hung high in the cerulean sky. His arms finally settled around her waist, his eye crinkling into a smile. "You did it," he whispered.

She drew back, a smile written across her face. "It's so weird how great I feel! I never knew how heavy the burden I created was until it was gone."

"So that nightmare…"

She nodded with a grin as she threw her hands out. "It was what I had been running from my whole life- myself!" Chiisai grabbed his hand, her fingers intertwining with his.

"I assume physical contact is okay now?" he blinked down at her curiously.

She elbowed him in response. "I can't lose you when we mind hop!"

He lifted an eyebrow. "Whose mind are we hopping into precisely?"

She shrugged, her eyes trained on a butterfly. "Don't know. I need to see out how Kuroi is controlling everyone and how connected they are."

Nodding, Kakashi replied, "How long has it been since we first entered the dream world?"

"Don't know. I could go in your body again and ask," she mumbled to herself.

"You don't know a lot of things it seems. Again?" he broke his hand away from hers.

"Oh, well, see…" Chiisai bit down on her lower lip. "When I went looking for you, I accidently found your body…Not the dream you I was searching for."

He shook his head. "The things you're capable of…"

"Hey, let's just get this done as soon as possible! I have to defeat my dad while I'm feeling so great." Chiisai jump as she spoke excitedly. She grabbed his hand again. "Hold on to your headband, because this might get a bit bumpy!"

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They landed roughly into darkness.

"You in one piece?" Chiisai wheezed as she sat up groggily.

"I hope so," Kakashi replied. "Where are we?"

"Not sure," she gagged," but it stinks and I'm sitting on something lumpy."

His eyes narrowed, his body going still. "It smells like…"

Fire came from Chiisai's hands, illuminating the night. What she saw made her stagger back with a gasp. Kakashi caught her arm as she lost her balance, causing the fire to go out. With his free hand, the jonin shot out fire that rocketed towards the sky before exploding with a boom. It shined briefly over the dream before vanishing.

They were standing in an endless sea of dead bodies.

END

_NOTE: 9/7/14: I'll be trying to illustrate (roughly) some of the scenes in the story. I have not done it yet though, but you will be able to find it on deviantart in my Fanfic 2 under my username sola-shines. Or you could just type Kakashi Chiisai. Or you could go eat some bacon and wait for the next Sailor Moon episode and not do it at all. Whatever works! XD_


	15. New Plan

Her fingers tightened around his vest as Kakashi leapt over the dead bodies.

"I just think maintaining a low profile will make it harder for my father to find us. So…," she tapped his chest. "Thanks for carrying me. Explain again why Inoichi can't wake people up."

"There's a barrier around every mind that's under Kuroi's control. It's a living thing that sucks you into the dream world."

"And he's also able to control their bodies, like with Koshuu," she replied sadly.

"Hai," he nodded.

She contemplated a while before replying. "He must have cloned himself and placed them inside each person." She smacked his chest at the epiphany. "Each one has control of a single person, like how I controlled your body!"

He frowned but continued on. "That is a good theory. All the information would go back to the original, which is in your body. Destroying the original will destroy the clones, which should wake everyone up."

"Great!" She patted him on the head. "Now that we've got that down, should I take us back to my mind or should we make some sort of attack plan? I don't think my father has sensed us yet." Her eyes suddenly lit up as she tugged on his vest. "Hey, stop. I'm sensing the dreamer."

He halted, dropping her down beside him. She gazed over the valley of the dead, her eyes roaming over the endless number of cadavers. "I can't pinpoint his exact location, but he's in that direction," she raised a finger west.

The ninja lifted up his headband, his red eye opening as he scanned the horizon. "There," he said. He grabbed her and sprinted to the dreamer. Soon, they could see one hand sticking out amidst the bodies, reaching towards the sun as muffled screams rose from underneath the ground. But as they reached it, their attention was drawn away.

A light flickered in the air, causing both of them to stop. It shot across the sky like a comet, leaving behind a trail of shimmering blue. The glittering color widened over the valley as it rained down over the land silently, like a drizzle on a gloomy day.

"What is that?" Chiisai whispered in awe. The bodies disappeared as the shooting star continued on, the lamenting smell of death fading around them. The light continued to fly overhead, devouring the nightmare. "Crap," she muttered as realization set in. The blue drizzle erased the dream like water on chalk. Chiisai took a hold of Kakashi's hand. "Forget about the dreamer. We're about to step into another dream."

Before he could reply, the light shot back the way it came, aiming low as it headed straight for them. Kakashi pulled Chiisai back. The light took human form as it grasped the hand of the dreamer, pulling him out of the nightmare. The light enveloped him, leaving only a silhouette in the eyes of Chiisai and Kakashi. The man fell to his knees, his head bent down in reverence as he sobbed, "Thank you, Great Baku. I can't…I-"

The Baku laid a hand on his shoulder just as the dream shattered. Kakashi and Chiisai fell below, only mere dots in an endless tunnel. Suddenly, their feet made contact with new ground as sunlight enveloped them. Kakashi caught her arm as she stumbled. "Always hated that transition," she muttered as she regained her footing.

"Your father called himself the Baku," Kakashi's voice was calculating. "That was Kuroi."

With a frown, she muttered, "So my father made himself the savoir of his own story? That's-" She paused. "That's surprising."

Raising an eyebrow, he replied, "You thought he'd make himself the villain of his own world?"

She raised an index finger as she turned away. "Wait just a sec. My mind's on the verge of exploding."

"You do know the predictability of human nature, right?"

"Look," she sighed, "I used to step into people's shoes every night for fifteen years. The few times I stepped in my father's I was…There were consequences. I never actually imagined what this would be like, that he'd make himself a hero!" Her tone rose as she crossed her arms.

Kakashi's voice was calm, his eye steady as he replied softly, "But you never wanted to see him as a hero."

She turned to him then and met his eye. "A child always starts out seeing their dad as a hero. You know that yourself." She shook her head. "Let's just find the dreamer." Chiisai headed down the street, making Kakashi follow. "The dreamer is a ninja that was mentally scarred by the The Third Great Ninja War. There are several people who have the drowning-in-dead-bodies-nightmare, and all are around their late thirties or early forties."

Kakashi's voice was serious as he asked, "How do you plan on defeating Kuroi?"

"With tug-of-war." She veered out a villager's way, keeping her head down.

The jonin raised an eyebrow and stopped. Chiisai looked back to Kakashi with an annoying glance. Raking a hand through her hair, she stopped and elaborated. "My powers are linked to my chakra, which my dad has taken a lot of. He'll try to take the rest of my chakra. Once we're connected, I'll tug and- Hey! The dreamer's on this road!" She glanced at the houses as people walked by.

"The Hyuga clan lives here."

"Then it's Hiashi," she nodded to herself. "His Byakugan works on us, so we should be careful." Mischief showed on her face as she whispered, "Let's wake him up."

He raised an eyebrow. "By killing your father's clone?"

"Shhh!" She glanced around, noting how citizens glanced their way." She nodded and grabbed his arm. "We've stood here long enough. Let's go, Farm Boy! He's around here somewhere."

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"Well, at least he made it easy for us. It's just climbing these stupid stairs to his stupid temple." She paused to gulp some air. "My father really made his temple the stairiest of all." They continued to climb the marble stairs, seemingly and endless staircase. "Great Baku my foot," she ended dryly as she kicked a pebble.

"Stairiest?"

"Yeah, I make up words," Chiisai panted as she climbed. "You…got a problem with it, Farm Boy?"

"No, I find it rather cute," he replied with a smile as he passed her up.

"Stupid…in-shape ninja," she mumbled as she tried to catch up. "With his...stupid perfect body…and stupid cool attitude…"

"This stupid ninja can hear you," he said without looking back. "Though I'll take the perfect body comment as a compliment."

She narrowed her eyes but went on continuing to mumble incoherent words in between gasps of air. Finally, she made it to the top with calves twitching and chest heaving. She lifted a finger at Kakashi as she leaned against a pillar, giving herself a moment to catch her breath.

"You know the plan?" Kakashi stood beside her without even a drop of sweat showing.

"Of course...I know the plan," she responded. "Just...I'm preparing another plan...Just in case we meet the dreamer." She pushed his shoulder with an annoying glance, literally causing a spark at the physical contact.

"What did you just do?" He gazed down at her questioningly as he touched his shoulder.

Her eyes narrowed as she straightened up. "I gave you my back-up plan. C'mon, he knows we're here."

She walked into the temple and opened the door to find Kuroi standing in the middle of guards. "I see you're finally done playing my games, Chiisai." He smiled and beckoned her forward. "Come on then. I'm right here."

She hunched her shoulders as Kakashi hand lit up with lightning. "I hate wasting energy."

As the guards came at them, Kakashi flew into battle, tearing down each enemy that came near. Chiisai lifted up her hand, extending her fingers as she concentrated her energy. The guards instantly faded and swirled into shimmering chakra that was reabsorbed, causing Chiisai to glow.

"Look, clone," she began, "I want my chakra back." She extended a hand again as chakra shot out and encircled the fake Kuroi.

"I wouldn't do that," the clone smiled. "You're about to be in for a surprise."

Her body jerked forward as the cord of chakra shrunk. "Oh no you don't," she snapped. Eyebrows furrowed and hand in fist, Chiisai yanked back, pulling her chakra out. Kuroi howled, materializing weapons and sending them flying at her and Kakashi.

She used her other hand and turned them into dust before they could reach her. The jonin dodged the weapons as his hand crackled with chakra, his gaze redirected at the enemy.

Kuroi laughed. "Maybe you should think before you act, Chiisai! Remember who the savoir of this world is!"

Kakashi reached Kuroi right as someone rammed into Chiisai. Her chakra faltered and flickered out as she stumbled across the temple floor. She turned to see Hiashi Hyuga come at her with eight palms as the room crackled with the sound of a thousand birds. The ninja only hit her once before he halted abruptly. He gazed around the temple, his usual stern demeanor gone as he surveyed the room. The Great Baku laid on the floor with a whole in his chest.

"Kakashi!" She shouted but failed to get to her feet. The woman tried to grab him with her chakra, but it was no use. Her chakra flow had been disrupted by a real Byakugan user and she no longer had the energy to move.

Kakashi was suddenly in front of her, his eye trained on the Hyuga.

Hiashi turned to them slowly, his voice low as he whispered. "…I'm dreaming."

Her eyes widened as the ground shook beneath them. Kakashi grabbed onto her as the dream began to disappear.

"My chakra isn't working right now!" Her voice sped up. "You have to get us out of here!"

Kakashi's eye widened as he gathered her in his arms. "How?"

"I gave you some of my chakra before we came in here. It should do all the work if you just picture my body!"

Kakashi nodded and closed his eye. The dream continued to shatter around them, and suddenly the ground caved in beneath them.

"Kakashi!" she yelled earnestly as her fingers clenched his arm.

They fell.

"Kakashi!"

His feet hit marble as it echoed across the room.

The ninja sat her down as he caught his breath. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I was just hit with eight palms. Ya know, dreamers can actually use their abilities successfully on other dreamers, like your Sharingan…Wait- is this my mind? Where are we?" She slowly wandered in, holding her stomach as she cringed. "It looks like a palace."

"Chiisai," Kakashi's voice was stern. "You're chakra needs time to recover and that's time we don't have."

She blinked at him. "Hey, we just woke someone up! Why so worried all of a sudden?"

"He means me," a familiar voice resonated against the walls. "And you're out of time." Kuroi shot out a beam of chakra at Chiisai. It came like a third arm, moving at an alarming rate. She stumbled out of the way just in time as Kakashi brought up a wall of earth.

"Nothing can save you as long as I rule the dream world." Kuroi extended his hand as the wall oozed into lava. Two monsters rose from the melted ground, their eyes and veins a fiery red as they went for Kakashi, their footsteps singeing the floor.

Kuroi turned his attention back to his daughter, who was trying to regain control of her chakra. They made eye contact, his cold eyes piercing her wide ones like a double-edged sword.

"Now," he smiled, "you're mine."

END

_How do you all feel about this story? Is it boring? Interesting? A good way to procrastinate? Dear readers, reviews are welcomed so much! Also, thoughts are welcome concerning a sequel that may or may not happen (involving Danzo and Itachi and further developing Kakashi and Chiisai's relationship...because I didn't write much lovey stuff in here, though it was originally planned...Lol, if there is a sequel, there will be more humor.) _


	16. The Dream Devourer

She glanced at Kakashi, trying to buy time. The lava monsters were still after him, their loud steps shaking the walls. Returning her gaze back to her father, she tried to appear calm and in control, though that was the last thing she felt. "Why are you doing this?"

"Many reasons, but I assume you already know a few of them, Small Crow. Would you like to take a guess perhaps?" He looked at her thoughtfully as he rolled up his sleeves.

Her hands tightened into fists at his mere casualness. Just looking at him made her angry, the fact they looked so much alike made her want to scream. "What?" Her tone rose. "Because I pretty much killed mom and you? Because I had more power than you? Or that you blame me for tearing our crappy family apart?" She didn't hide the spite in her words.

He crossed his arms, tilting his head as his dark eyes glinted with amusement. "Well, yes, that's part of it. Revenge really is sweet, but my plans have grown much larger now. Really though, what a selfish thinker you are! That wasn't how I raised you to be." He shook his disapprovingly. "And you shouldn't try to hide your fear, Chiisai," he scolded. "It's written all over your face."

"Shut up! Shut the hell up!" she yelled. Pointing a finger at him, she cried, "You didn't raise me! You kept me a prisoner in my room! You used me to betray the village!"

Kuroi gave a laugh, startling and angering his daughter even more. A crash rang through the room as Kakashi engaged against the monsters, his vest almost completely scorched off before he used a water style jutsu.

"You still don't know a thing, do you?" His voice was low, but his soft tone was what made her focus back on him. "Everything I did was to keep you safe, as hard as that might be to believe."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Her eyes reflected her frustration and fury in the situation she had no control over. She couldn't help but glance over her comrade, but she knew he could take care of himself. She was more worried about herself.

Kuroi stepped towards her calmly. "Your ability was discovered by someone after you stepped into his dream one night. He confronted me and blackmailed me, saying he was going to use you for his own purposes unless I cooperated with his demands."

"What?" She blinked in surprise. Her body went rigid as she asked, "What are you talking about?"

"I made you tell me your dreams so you wouldn't be turned into a monster by a madman." He paused with a chuckle. "I guess it seems you think me the madman and monster now. It was difficult trying to get you to talk. It was a hopeless situation, really. I did go a bit mad, knowing I couldn't defeat him…And how hard you resisted me…It was a scenerio made for disaster. No matter what I did, the end product was always suffering."

"Look," she wheezed as she threw her hands out, "you don't need to do this! Why make everyone else suffer?"

"Suffer?" His tone hardened as he glared at her. "Suffer?! I'm making their dreams come true! What suffering can there be when everything you want is right before your eyes?" His wife appeared next to him, her smile radiating at Chiisai as she grabbed Kuroi's hand. Chiisai staggered back as she extended a hand towards her daughter. But then blood dribbled down her chin, her eyes turning glassy as she stared on. Chiisai gasped at the familiar sight, but Kuroi then made her disappear. His tone was dark as he finished, "I am the Baku. If real life comes back to haunt them, I'll be there to take it away. I'll weave their dreams so they won't feel pain."

"But they're not living. That's not living! You're forcing them into a world that's not real!" She took a breath, trying her hardest to regain chakra control. Why was it taking so long? Her eyebrows furrowed as she shouted, "You can't play god."

"You think they were living in the real world, always in fear and distress?" He shook his head, his brown hair falling over his eyes. "The world of a shinobi isn't living. It's surviving for the sake of the village, it's trying to survive in a world where you aren't appreciated." He glanced up at her now, his eyes softening. "You yourself can't deny this, Chiisai. I've seen it through your own eyes."

She didn't respond. Avoiding people, isolating herself, she had done it all to protect herself and the village. The secrets that she held and the nightmares ever before her eyes…Pain was not a word unfamiliar to her.

He extended the palm of his hand, showing a bubble of the different dreams in others' minds. All were laughing and smiling, oblivious to their true circumstances. "In the beginning, all I wanted was revenge. But that was such a small goal. In this world, you can be loved and appreciated like everyone deserves to be." His gaze returned to her as the bubble popped. "And I will make up for what was failed in reality, what I failed to do myself with you. This world is corrupt and causes others too much pain. Here, everyone will be appreciated. Everyone will be loved. And all I need for that…is you."

He pulled his hand back, his eyes closing as he whispered, "Your death will complete my revenge. Chiisai, you will be the sacrifice for this new world."

But before he could act, Kakashi was behind him, shoving a kunai in Kuroi's chest. Kuroi gaped down at the blood soaking his shirt. They had been so enveloped in their conversation that Kakashi had been forgotten. Kakashi jumped back, his eye trained on the enemy.

Chiisai ran towards them, her mind teetering on the worst outcomes that could happen. Her father could really kill Farm Boy…And that thought preceded everything else.

"Erasing the past will not fill up the emptiness inside," Kakashi said evenly. "And rejecting reality will not save what you seek."

"Maybe," Kuroi said to himself, "I should take your chakra first. I'm sure Chiisai would enjoy that." He locked eyes with Kakashi, causing him to stop in midair. He moved just in time to stop the real Kakashi, a smile playing on his lips as his hand covered his wound. "Well, you would have had me with your substitution if I didn't have Chiisai's chakra. And now, I'll have yours."

Kakashi's eyes widened as Kuroi stepped back, allowing his chakra to extend from his fingertips as is went for Kakashi.

"No no no!" Chiisai frantically whispered. She did the only thing she could think of then. With all her strength, she took the last steps in one bound, trying to push Kakashi out of the way. They locked eyes before she slammed into him, his body still restrained by Kuroi's gaze.

And then she realized her chakra was back in control. She could feel it flow through her now, waiting for her demands as it pulsated new life. Hope lit up like a beacon for a split second, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.

If she was a kunoichi, she would have used the opportunity to her fullest extent. But she wasn't a ninja, and in that moment there was one thought- only that she needed to protect.

Chiisai reached out, touching the side of Kakashi's cheek as he stared at her in shock. She knew it was too late, and he could see it in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Farm Boy. I guess I liked you more than I thought." She gave him one last smile as her hand fell away, her fingers seemingly tracing his jawline as Kuroi's chakra grazed her back. In that moment, Kakashi could do nothing but stare into her glistening dark eyes as her body was pulled away from his, her tears cascading down her cheeks. The ninja could still feel the lingering warmth of her touch, lighting a fire deep inside him as his heart shattered into a million pieces.

Still under Kuroi's control, Kakashi screamed inside his head as he watched her back arch. Her chakra was forced out of her, extracted like a tailed-beast from a jinchuriki as it was absorbed by her father. And all the while Kuroi was laughing, amused by the sudden turn of events and how easily the situation turned to his favor.

Kuroi looked once more at his daughter, shaking his head as he said, "You always were irrational, Chiisai. You always did the first thing that came to mind."

But she didn't respond. Her life was being drained away from her, making her numb and frantic as she tried again and again to reign in her chakra. But nothing was happening. Her father had taken too much of her chakra for her to fight back like she had planned. The more her life faded, the more her panic set in. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Why couldn't she tug her chakra back? Was she really so weak? Had she really just failed everyone?

Their faces appeared as her world started to fade, the words of the villagers' aspirations echoing behind her eyes from the dreams she used to enjoy so much.

"_I will be Hokage one day, just wait and see!"_

"_I just…I just want you to notice me."_

"_My ramen's made with love- that's why it tastes so great!"_

"_Don't worry, Mom! I'll be the best ninja yet!"_

She could feel her heart thumping as their emotions overcame her. Chiisai's consciousness faded like a leaf in the wind, but still she clung on to her last thoughts. Just one more time, she wanted to visit their dreams again, to touch the fabric of their feelings, to feel their minds echo their hearts. But she had failed them all and she would never see them again.

No, she thought. This couldn't be it. These people deserved far better than her. Their dreams were what got her through the first years of her torment. And now they needed her. She had to protect them, no matter what the cost!

She had to think fast. Something had to be done before she was gone forever. But the light was fading from her thoughts and she could no longer feel her body. No! There must be something she could do! She had to protect them! It couldn't end like this, it couldn't…

This wasn't how it's supposed to be.

Her mind darkened as her body grew weaker. Her heart sank, knowing that this was the end. She had failed them...Itachi...Kakashi...And now everyone would pay…

That last thought she could even muster was that she would never finish that cheesy romance novel Farm-Boy had suggested…And for some reason that hurt her more than she ever would have thought possible...She really was a selfish thinker…

And that was it.

Kuroi sucked the last ounce of chakra from his daughter, his smile growing wider as he felt her power surge within him. Her body sagged and fell to the ground as the last trail of her chakra was reabsorbed.

Kakashi could only look on as her body fell, hit the ground with a thunk, rebounded slightly, and then sank back into the floor. Her long brown hair fell over her frozen face, and he thought of the all the times she had brushed her hair back absentmindedly.

Now she would never be able to do that again.

Kuroi let go of Kakashi, his mind now focused on his newfound power. The ninja no longer mattered, and Kakashi was instantly forgotten. With all of her chakra, her father could now capture all of Konoha's minds as soon as they fell asleep.

The ground crackled around him and the air fizzed, the sheer power radiating from him affecting the dream. Her chakra healed his wound, drying up the blood that leaked out. Yes, now he could do anything, and there would be no one his way. He disappeared, leaving what was left of Chiisai's mind to end what he had begun.

Kakashi sank to his knees beside Chiisai. His fist came down hard on the marble floor, causing it to crack and splinter under his weight. His head bowed, he closed his eye, fighting down the familiar emotions that swallowed him up. Slowly, he pulled half of her body into his arms. She was limp and empty, only a shell of what she used to be. Her head tilted back and her hair parted to reveal her expressionless face and her wide gaping eyes, her cheeks still wet from her tears

"You stupid girl," he whispered raggedly. "You weren't supposed to do that."

He traced the side of her face, silently cursing and begging that she come back to him. Her skin was cold to the touch, unlike the fire that burned inside him. He willed her to feel his warmth, to open her eyes as his fingers sank into her arm. But this nightmare around him was real, and Chiisai didn't wake up.

He brought his face close to hers, brushing her hair back for the last time as he kissed the top of her forehead.

Against his instincts, Kakashi laid her back down. He backed away slowly, though he couldn't tear his eye away from her. No, he couldn't linger like this. But what could Kakashi do while stuck in the shell of Chiisai's mind? She had been the key to this mission, and now she was no more.

He turned away from her, holding his face in his hands. The mission was failing.

What had they done?

END


	17. Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Kakashi managed to stumble out of Kuroi's now crumbled palace. His heart was thrashing like a tidal wave against a rock, wearing him down beat by beat. He had been through this before, but it never helped fend off the emotions presented by recent events. Despair was forever his companion. He was a broken music box, forced to play the same cursed melody as life kept winding him up over and over.

Running a hand over his face, the jonin refocused on finding a way out. What had happened was done, and he couldn't change it, no matter how hard he tried. He needed to convince himself of this, for his brain to override his heart. Kuroi was taking over the minds of Konoha, and their only hope now depended on him- only he was stuck in Chiisai's body.

He couldn't mind jump, and waiting for Kuroi seemed a useless option. If he could use Chiisai's body to warn the Hokage…How had Chiisai been able to control his body? If he could somehow wake up from this cursed nightmare…

Chiisai had woken him up before, back when they were chased by that monster. She stuck a kunai in him back then. If she had the ability to kill the dreamer, than why didn't he die? What had caused him to wake up in the real world?

Kakashi replayed the information, letting it permeate the walls of his mind. A dreamer's chakra could be used in the dream world- Sharingan, Bakugan, Gentle Fist, his chidori were all examples… A chakra infused creation rather than a thought creation seemed to work on opponents. He had defeated a clone with his chidori and it had worked. The kunai on Kuroi did not. If a weapon created from Kakashi's own thoughts were to kill him in the dream, would he wake up in Chiisai's body?

The kunai already appeared in his hand. It was a stretch, but logically it all made sense. What other option was there but to wait for Kuroi? The man was able to sense a dreamer and could make them stop by a mere gaze. He could manifest anything and trap anyone in a dream. Even using Sharingan, Kakashi couldn't predict what Kuroi would do. Kakashi would have to meet Kuroi's gaze first for his Sharingan to work at all, but what would Kakashi do then? And Kuroi now had all of Chiisai's power. Kakashi couldn't do this by himself. The dream world was a place of impossibilities, and Konoha needed to know what threat lay before them.

His mind made up, Kakashi lifted the blade. In one swift motion, he brought it down on himself and awaited his fate.

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It was the pain that jolted him, making him intake a harsh breath. His body jerked at the sudden feeling, making his eyes fly open and he stared in disbelief.

Slowly, he brought himself up into a sitting position, his hair falling over his face. He wiped it away- his hand pausing at the realization. Kakashi closed his eyes, pushing away what would tear his heart further apart.

"Chiisai?!"

Kakashi looked up to see Inoichi and Shizune around him, their faces fully revealing their distress.

"What happened?! Did you-"

Kakashi closed his eyes. "Chiisai's dead," he said raggedly. The sound of her voice made his chest heave, forcing him to tighten his fists. He looked over at his own body that seemed to be sleeping peacefully. "This is Kakashi."

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"How long have I been under?" He had to stop himself from cringing at the sound of her voice again- painfully aware of someone he would never know again.

"Currently twenty-eight hours. The village has gone into chaos, and word had gotten out somehow. We've been threatened with quarantine- it's spreading like a disease, even outside the village. If that happens, the Land of Fire will no longer have a village to protect them and we will be forced under Kuroi's influence." Lady Tsunade paused, attempting to refrain from frustration. "Only one other person has woken up- Hiashi Hyuuga, but he literally has no memory of it."

Kakashi nodded. "Kuroi isolates each person in their own dream and places his clone in each one. We killed the clone in Hiashi's dream."

Inoichi's eyes widened as he understood. "If Chiisai is gone, then we might be forced to go inside each dream and manually destroy each clone. But that's pointless if we don't get to the original."

"You're right," Shizune shook her head. "How do we destroy the real Kuroi?"

Kakashi stood up, startled at having to crane his head to look up at them. "He can sense each dreamer around him and stop them at just a glance. I don't believe weapons created in the dream world will kill him, but a jutsu infused with a dreamer's chakra might. That's how I killed his clone."

The Hokage rested her chin in her hand. "So we can kill him, it's just having an open shot."

"Hai. The one time I had an open shot was when he was with Chiisai. But his revenge is now complete. Kuroi plans on obliterating reality and making everyone dream what their heart desires."

"And we need to get you back in your body. Inoichi, could you somehow do that?"

His eyes widened as he thought about it. "It's never been done before."

Kakashi shook his head, looking up at them through Chiisai's eyes. "I have a plan, though I haven't worked out the kinks. We don't know whose mind Kuroi could be in at any given time. However, if I could draw him back into this body…"

Shizune interrupted. "But that threatens your life as well."

"I know. That's why I don't think Kuroi would suspect it. The only problem is making you aware that he's in this body. The way Kuroi can switch from mind to mind and control their bodies seems similar to the Yamanake Clan's jutsu. Inoichi, if I were to break the dream while I have Kuroi under the Sharingan, would you be able to find us?"

Inoichi crossed his arms. "Yes. You wouldn't have to sacrifice yourself that way either. I could use the Mind Body Disturbance Technique and kill him myself."

"But how do you plan on drawing Kuroi back inside Chiisai's body?"

"He's able to see into every dream that's under his spell." His eyes were hard, a venomous anger glinting. "And I plan on making lots of noise."

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Kakashi stood outside the crumbling palace of the nightmare he had endured not long before. They had gone over the plan multiple times and were ready for the task at hand. He took a step forward. But his other foot wouldn't follow. Kakashi hesitated, knowing what would meet his eyes once he entered.

As if in slow motion, the jonin trudged up the few marble stairs that remained. His shoes scuffed against the marble as he reached the entrance. Raising his head, Kakashi prepared for the worst…But nothing met his eyes.

The room was empty.

Kakashi raced toward where her body had been left. Maybe it dissipated since it wasn't real? Then why wouldn't it have faded right after she died? Or was this all a trick?

"Kakashi."

His body went rigid, but he refused to turn around at the sound of her voice.

Her footsteps echoed off the walls, only stopping a few feet away from him. "What the hell, Farm boy?! I woke up and was all alone! What the heck happened while I was out?"

"You died."

She snorted. "Well yes. But remember my back-up plan in Hiashi's dream? I do do stupid things, but I also have spurts of brilliance. I gave you some of my chakra before Kuroi sucked it all out of me." He could hear the shrug in her tone. "Don't know how you gave it back though. With Itachi, he usually just touched my shoulder or something…He never liked keeping the chakra I gave him."

Her words surprised him. "What?"

"Crap. I'm, well, ugh!" The sound of her hand smacking her forehead resonated. "I don't have a whole lot of chakra left, so I'm groggy and rambling and saying whatever comes to mind! Yeah, I was working with Itachi while under The Third. Our abilities enhanced each other kind of. Look, why aren't you turning around, Farm Boy?! What happened to my father?"

It made sense, but he couldn't deny what he had seen. She had died.

He heard her sigh as she muttered, "You think I'm him, don't you?"

"This would be a thing he would do."

"Yeah, he's pretty sadistic when it comes to mind games." Her footsteps went back and forth as she continued on. "And Kuroi has been inside my head since we met, well, since like forever, so saying something to convince you would be unproductive. And my chakra's too low to do anything…And my dad and I have the same chakra, so your Sharingan wouldn't work…I'm still rambling, aren't I? At this rate, you're probably going to kill me-"

"Before you died…What you said…"

Her rambling stopped. The room was silent now. The words left unsaid hung in the room. Kakashi could feel her presence behind him now, her small fingers enclosing halfway around his wrist.

"Kakashi…" Her voice was a whisper. She pulled gently on his arm, and his body was lenient. They stood facing each other, her head only coming up to his chest. Her hands found their way to the sides of his jaw, her touch heating his skin through the fabric, making his senses come alive. God, even here in the dream world she smelled like books- and it intoxicated him. She guided his face down, but her hair was in her face.

Kakashi reached out, brushing her hair back. Her fingers had found their hold around the top of his mask, pulling it down ever so slightly as she whispered, "I like you more than you think, Farm Boy."

He cupped the back of her head as she pulled his mask down to his chin, his face fully exposed.

"Chiisai…" His breath mingled with hers, and in that moment she brought her mouth to his, her lips soft and yearning for his touch. She pressed against him as his fingers tangled in her hair, their bodies hungry for more.

His lips moved against hers, only stopping when she pulled away. Her breath was ragged as she whispered, "Is this what you want?"

He opened his eyes, gazing down at Chiisai with a sadness that seeped into his bones. And in the next moment, his hand had gone through her chest, his chidori crackling with the same energy he had just felt from her touch.

Blood dribbled out of her mouth as her eyes shown wide. Her body shuddered, her black eyes gaping up at him as he drew in a rugged breath. Her fingers slowly wound around his arm. Chiisai's hair was long, her black eyes beautiful and haunting as she parted her lips.

"F-farm Boy…"

Kakashi closed his eyes as he pulled his arm out of her.

His nightmare had been his own self-fulfilling prophecy.

END

_Please, if you can leave some sort of feedback I'd really appreciate it. I know I'm not a great writer, so any sort of constructive criticism would be helpful. __ Would you like to know some random things about Chiisai? Her favorite food is spicy curry and favorite drink is plain milk. She hates jello, tea, and alcohol. And she fervently believes books are better than people._


	18. Bound

It was dark; the kind that cages you in and sinks into your skin. Chiisai drew back, only to realize she couldn't. Metal clinked about her as cold caressed her wrists and ankles. Terror overcame her as she tried to move, to do something to free herself.

Was this her eternal punishment?

She had died. Protecting Kakashi had been her only thought, and she had sacrificed herself- the only hope left for the village. But Chiisai knew she had done the right thing. It was an action without real thought, but it had worked out in the end. If her theory was correct, everyone in Konoha should have awoken. And Kakashi would be safe.

One thing had come from having such an ability, and that was being able to step into someone else's shoes. Chiisai knew her powers flowed through her chakra network, but that wasn't where it originated. Her abilities were a part of her- a part that was anchored into her mind. And though her abilities could be taken away to a certain extent, it would altogether be useless without her being alive. At least, that was her hypothesis.

Her father was a ninja. Of course the first thing he would think of would be chakra. But her ability wasn't a jutsu, and that was his mistake. Like she told Kakashi before, _"It's not like focusing your chakra. It's not about physical control or mental control, per say. You're only as creative as you_ _allow your mind to be."_

And her mind was tired and weak, like a hangover after a hard night drinking. What was this hell?

"It's good to see you alive, Chiisai."

The noise startled her. Her black eyes narrowed, her anger resurfacing. Craning her neck to the sound of his voice, Chiisai responded forcefully, "So you found out, huh? Did anyone escape?" She had to hope, had to think someone was saved.

"Two people awoke before I realized what was going on. You weren't dead for long."

Two was better than nothing. "I guess you realized pretty soon how powerless my chakra can be…Would've loved to see your face."

He shifted, his clothing rustling. "It did not occur to me that your power is directly linked to your conscious."

Smirking, she replied, "I'm surprised you never caught on, seeing how you were stuck in my head for so long."

Calmly, he replied, "A massive amount of your chakra was sealed then and supplied me with your power. Assumingly, one would think such things."

The chains clinked as she tried to stand. "So what's your plan? Keep me prisoner forever, constantly draining my chakra so I don't have enough energy to do anything? Or are you going to make sure I'm only conscious enough to stay alive?"

"Both. It appears your chakra and mind have to both exist for it to work, right?"

So he supported her hypothesis. "Aren't you the god of this dream world? You should already know these things, Great Baku," she practically spat out. Truthfully, it scared her how calm he seemed now in contrast to when she first realized who he was. Where had the madman gone in such a short time?

It didn't faze him. "I weaved such a pleasant dream for your boyfriend not too long ago…Would you like to see it?"

A glowing orb appeared, stinging her eyes as it slowly grew brighter. It cast shadows over the cement floor and walls. She blinked multiple times, her eyebrows furrowing as she sought him out. "He doesn't pose a threat anymore, why not forget about him?"

"Oh, he and the Hokage have big plans for me," Kuroi chuckled. "That Sharingan of his will be my undoing if I'm not careful."

"How would you-"

He was behind her, patting her head as if she were an ignorant child. "I have my ways." Kuroi paused as she yanked away from his touch. He turned away. "Anyway, I think I'll have a chat with the Hokage. I'll just leave this for your entertainment."

Chiisai cringed as the orb flickered again, showing Kakashi walking into the crumbling palace. She gazed at the scene unfolding, her body rigid as she saw herself behind him. She screamed at the jonin, but like watching TV he didn't respond. Cursing the clone, Chiisai watched as it approached Kakashi. She stared in shock long after the sound of Kakashi's chidori faded away.

"Farm Boy," she whispered to no one. Her fingers clutched onto her shirt, digging into the skin underneath. The pain brought her back before she could sink into her own despair. Her brain could not translate what her eyes had seen, but her heart was wrenching inside her chest, choking her as hard as this present darkness.

There had to be a way to warn him. Her chakra was substantially depleted…Kuroi had only given her enough to remain conscious. But she didn't know where she was or whose mind she was in. But Kakashi had to be still stuck in her body…

She let out a harsh gasp and grinded her teeth as the shackles burned against her. The chains responded if she tried to use her power…So she just had to fight through the pain.

She closed her eyes, picturing the object Kakashi would recognize. The image appeared behind her eyelids, and as she focused on Kakashi the pain seared up her arms and legs. She cringed and screamed, curling her body in while trying to send her message. Blood dribbled down her chin as she bit down on her lower lip. Her eyes flew open when the pain stole her breath away. The chains sizzled against her skin, the smell of burning flesh stinging her nose. It took all of her energy to hold on, to just give Kakashi some type of sign. With a gurgling cry, Chiisai fully activated her ability as she gasped for air. Her body was on fire, the sensation blinding her as she fell forward into the darkness. Hoping, praying, Chiisai concentrated on the object, willing it to remain in existence before she went unconscious.

But she never did. To her horror, she realized the chains were regulating her chakra so that she would stay awake. She screamed and arched her back as the chains sizzled and popped against her melting flesh. The image faltered and she desperately grabbed a hold of it, but the pain was unbearable. Kakashi couldn't leave her body without her chakra. With sweat running down her face, Chiisai inserted one more thing into the object as fire licked her limbs. She couldn't hold on any longer to the image, and she was afraid the object wouldn't get translated. But no more could be done.

She sent it to Kakashi as she screamed and writhed in the darkness, but no one heard her cries.

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Kakashi watched her body hit the ground. He walked out of the palace, not looking back at the body. Rin flickered in his mind, of her eyes wide as she whispered his name for the last time.

He shook his head, flinging away such thoughts and focusing on the present. He had to break the dream and try to get Kuroi's attention. He looked up at the top of the dream world, recalling how Chiisai had broken Kuroi's hold by fragmenting the dream like glass. Kakashi didn't have that ability, but he did have something else. But that option would possibly drain all chakra he had. He was too inexperienced, so Kamui wouldn't help him...At least not yet.

A kunai appeared in his hand. He flung it up to the sky. It blazed like a bullet upward. After six seconds, he heard it _clink. _It fell back to the ground with a clatter. How big was the dreamworld? If he started walking forward, how long before he'd reach the end? Was there even an end?

He stopped to sift through his thoughts, trying to come up with a reasonable strategy to approach the situation at hand.

Suddenly there was a _thunk_ that echoed throughout the area. His head shot up, his eye searching for what had caused such a noise.

Cautiously, he strode back into the building, his ears prickling with alertness. There was no sound, but an awful odor permeated the place now, like stinky old cheese.

Kakashi, though still attentive, peered down at what lay before him. It was a heart-shaped book and the cover was coated in awful smelling cheese.

_An awful cheesy romance novel._

Kuroi was a perfectionist in his work. He did enjoy watching his prey squirm, but if he was trying to make Kakashi think of Chiisai, why not show the original book? This wasn't something he'd do.

What if this wasn't his doing? What if what Chiisai's clone had said was true? Her dream body was gone, and Kakashi had spent awhile in reality…

Delicately, Kakashi picked the book up and opened it. He sifted through the pages, only finding one with any writing on it.

_He knows. I'm burning in a scarecrow. Here's my-_

The book began to melt in his hand, oozing through his fingers as the pages burned black in his hands. One single flame sprung up, hitting him square in the chest. The book fell as he staggered back, feeling the familiar energy that radiated within him from Hiashi's dream.

This was Chiisai's chakra!

And she was in trouble. Scarecrow was easy enough to understand. But that would mean Kuroi took her there, meaning he currently had control of Kakashi's body.

Which laid beside Chiisai's body.

_He knows._

Kakashi focused on his destination and using her chakra, jumped back into his body.

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Chiisai was on the ground, her chest heaving as she struggled to breathe. No amount of energy she had could break these chains. She was cursed to stay awake, constantly aware of the pain coursing through her body, of the smell of her burned flesh rotting the air. Moving only caused the chains to scratch against her wounds, causing her to yell furiously into the darkness. Tears and blood mingled on her face and hair, her lip swollen from her teeth biting down on it. From all the harm she caused herself when she was a teen, nothing compared to this. Her stomach scars were just paper cuts in comparison.

Footsteps echoed down the hall. Light stained her eyelids red, but she was in too much pain to open them. She could care less about her father. Her plan to alert Kakashi had failed. The chains wouldn't let her be able to focus on anything as long as it fed her this torture.

"Chiisai!"

Her eyes fluttered open as he appeared beside her, lifting her halfway up. She screamed as he moved her, the chains chaffing against her wounds.

Kakashi stopped, his eyes casting a worried glance over her wrists and ankles. He took a sharp intake.

"I can see the bone."

"Pfff…" She cringed. "You real?"

His eye softened as he cradled the back of her head. "I'm here, Chiisai."

"So…It worked?" She stared up at Kakashi, attempting to make sense of what she was seeing through the pain. "You're here."

He gave a sad smile before redirecting his focus back to her imprisonment. "Let's get you out of these chains."

"Yeah," she barely grunted, "They…Unghh, regulate my chakra…Keep me awake."

"He's barely keeping you alive." His words were hard and factual, but underneath the surface lay a boiling rage.

"He can't do anything…without me," she whispered, searching his eye. A silence stood between them as she stared pleadingly at him. Kakashi watched her with a downcast expression as he replied, "You're asking me to kill you."

Nodding, Chiisai cringed and said, "He found out about your plan, so he's in reality right now. He won't know what's happening."

"You're asking the impossible," he responded raggedly. "You know there's another way."

"It can end right now. I won't be strong enough to defeat him anytime soon."

"Kuroi will just give your body your chakra to revive you."

"Then wake up and destroy my body."

He gave a bitter laugh. "You've thought this through, haven't you?"

Smiling, she cringed and muttered, "Death doesn't sound bad right now…"

He brushed her hair back. His hand was gentle, but his voice held firm. "We're stopping your father together."

"Pshh…that doesn't sound like Kakashi Hatake." Her eyes squeezed shut while trying to block out the pain.

"I protect my comrades, remember?" He smiled reassuringly. "I won't abandon you, so don't abandon me."

"Then…what's the plan, genius?"

"Just bear with me."

Lightning appeared in his hand as he came down on the chains. Within seconds, Chiisai was screaming as the chains heated like coals. Kakashi immediately stopped, his eye glinted with anguish.

"Don't…Do that!" She screamed through clenched teeth and arched back. The glare she cast at him was lost. His eye was closed, his eyebrow furrowed. "There's a two second interval before the chains react...And Kuroi used your chakra to create them."

"Yeah…" She clamped her mouth shut to hold back a trembling shriek. "So?"

With a pained expression, he asked, "Is it possible for you to lend me your chakra?"

She nodded, so Kakashi went on. "I think these chains can only be broken that way. My lightning cutter had no effect."

"It wouldn't hurt to try…" She gave a faint laugh. "…But it would."

Kakashi nodded, though he hated knowing the torture she'd go through. "You can do it."

"But if that doesn't work, give me back the rest of my chakra. I'll try...breaking them within the two seconds."

"Hai."

She groaned and muttered, "If I live through this, you're buying me a crapload of books, Farm boy."

He smiled. "To your heart's content."

"Good." She sighed, meeting his eye as he touched her hand. "Let's get this over with."

END

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_Okay, so this is how I generally picture Chiisai's power. There are many parts of the brain that contribute to dreaming, so let's just say her brain activates her dreams, and that activates her power. Her body creates a shield of chakra around the brain as a form of protection and a type of dream enhancer. So her powers permeate her chakra and extend through her chakra network. Now her power is a two in one combo._

_So, the more her powers increased, the more chakra was stored around her brain. When her powers were sealed, The Hokage sealed that chakra as well. So Kuroi's been hanging out behind the seal and chillin' with all that chakra of hers. And that's how he has so much power! And the seal just stopped her from dreaming._


	19. Initiate

She no longer had the voice to scream. Burning pain pulsated through her body as she focused her chakra. It entered Kakashi's hand as tears streamed down her eyes. Her body spasmed, causing the chains to clatter on the cement. In the next moment, it was over, and Chiisai was left heaving on the cold ground.

Kakashi took a harsh breath as he placed his hands on the base of the chains. Closing his eye, he pictured them crumbling, and using her chakra, made the image come alive.

_Crack._

The pressure of her chakra splintered the chains. It rippled upward as the sound ricocheted off the walls like Chiisai's screams. With one final push, the chains split apart and faded from the dream world, never to return again. Her wounds were fully visible now, the bone white against the raw red flesh that hung from her wrists and ankles.

"Good job, Farm Boy," she said with a heavy groan. "You wouldn't have any of my chakra left…?"

He pulled her head to his lap silently, moving her body as little as possible. The touch of his hand on her forehead was gentle, something Chiisai forgot existed. She closed her eyes, craving more than she'd like to admit. Her energy returned as it slowly spread to her limbs, sending a warm sensation down her spine. Chiisai muttered apathetically, "Now the fun part."

Her muscles began to revive, stretching themselves back over the bone with the sound of pulled leather. The tissue followed, weaving itself layer after layer until her wounds had finally healed. Clenching her teeth, Chiisai suppressed any noise from escaping. Her skin reformed and pulled itself over the wounds, leaving no trace of her imprisonment. There was no more pain, and briefly she wondered if her life ever existed without it.

Her eyes fluttered open to see Kakashi watching her intently. Chiisai gave him a reassuring smile, but on noticing their seating arrangement and his hands holding her face, she quickly sat up. Her body still ached, causing her to grunt at the movement. Flexing her hands and feet, Chiisai inspected her body- sweaty and matted with blood. "Whoa, I'm all gross."

Kakashi sighed and replied, "Is this really a time to worry about appearances?"

"Hey! I've been through a lot in the last few hours! Can't a woman have time to assess herself?!" She yelled as the wall next to her cracked from her fury.

Kakashi shrunk back, startled at her sudden burst of anger.

She took a deep breath. Surprisingly, she was now almost on the verge of tears. "Sorry, I'm just on edge. It's weird not being dead or in pain_-sniff-_ It's like I've forgotten how to feel anything."

He simply nodded, afraid to accidently invite any more feelings she might harbor within that petite frame of hers.

Chiisai remained silent as well, though her intense feelings inside were recharging her chakra. It felt so easy in the dream world when it came to accessing chakra. Maybe her emotions did something to it? Well, as long as she was able to recharge. She needed as much energy as she could muster, and the rage she felt towards her father was enough to supply her.

They sat in silence as she flexed her arms and legs, trying to get back to the rhythm of the freely living. Her bones popped as she stretched. To fully rejuvenate, Chiisai changed one last thing and got to her feet.

Kakashi lifted a finger at her, his eye wide with surprise. "Your clothes…"

She tightened her ponytail while scolding Kakashi. "What? It's the comfiest workout clothes I own. You probably couldn't hurt to have some new ones yourself."

He lifted an eyebrow. "I'm not complaining- far from it."

Perplexed, she glanced down at herself. Compression shorts, a cropped tank, and her old workout gloves. Her pale pink scars peeked out from under her top…actually, a lot of her skin was visible.

With an exasperated look, Chiisai said, "Okay_, Mr. Icha Icha_, we need to come up with a plan, which I assume you already have. I have a distraction in mind…But I don't know where to go from there." She popped her knuckles as her hands glowed red. Pacing back and forth, she continued on. "I'm too angry to think straight right now. I used to feel so guilty for thinking I killed him-for wanting to kill him, but now…" Her voice turned to stone as she stopped. Her body radiated red. "I _really_ want to kill him. I've never felt like this."

Kakashi stood up, a concerned expression crossing what little face was exposed. "It's called revenge- something I don't think you should indulge in."

Smiling, she whispered, "I kinda like the taste of it." The ground cracked around her feet as she watched the red around her hands intensify, casting dark shadows over her and Kakashi. He cast a worried glance at her, but the red lightened, though it didn't fully go out. With a deep breath, she said, "This feeling makes my stomach churn." She looked down at her glowing hands, struggling within herself. "I don't know how to feel about it."

Kakashi, relieved at her wariness, placed a hand on her shoulder. "Forget about revenge. It won't satisfy you in the end. Besides, it's not in the plan." There was something obviously different about her, he noticed. Her emotions were haywire and they impacted anything around her. What had happened to cause such a thing?

"Then what is?" She blinked up at him curiously, almost having to crane her neck to look him in the eye. Her eyes narrowed suddenly and she whacked his arm. "Stop looking down my shirt, or I really will start calling you Mr. Icha Icha!"

"It's hard not to with you being so short," he replied evenly down at her. His response didn't appease her. Changing tactics, he gave her a smile as he pointed at her clothes, or rather, her lack of them. "You really should wear this more often though."

Chiisai didn't return the smile. Crossing her arms, she hissed, "Seriously, what's the plan?"

"First, let's hear your distraction…I assume it's something other than your lavish outfit." He raised an eyebrow expectedly. She smirked. "Take a look at yourself."

Kakashi glanced down before he flattened his eyebrows, his hair now hanging over his face. "I'm unamused."

"What, you don't think those muscles will get my father's attention? Or how about that cute face of yours? It's sure gotten my attention." She half-smiled as she studied his face, her eyes trailing down to his toned torso. Maybe there were some good things about ninjas…

He watched her for a moment, unbeknownst to Chiisai who was too busy observing other things. Sighing, he said, "You've been through anger, sadness, revenge, and now lust. And though I find the attraction enticing, we really should get back to more serious matters. Shouldn't you be conserving energy? "

With a huff, she muttered, "Fine...I was only practicing." His clothing reappeared, though it now looked newly pressed. "The distraction is about you though. How good is your acting?"

"Decent enough. When do you think you'll be ready to take on your father?"

She glanced down at her hands. "…"

"What is it?"

She said unsteadily, "I was thinking about how good I felt after I destroyed that nightmare…How charged I was…" Her head fell. "And then I failed."

He placed his hands on her shoulders to reassure her. "You're not going to fail this time." He paused at the sight of her. "You're glowing."

Chiisai glanced down at herself, noticing the blue haze that surrounded her. "I think being revived changed me somehow. I'm not sure, but now that I'm free I haven't been restraining my emotions like I used to...And they make me feel stronger…Like, really strong."

"What kind of emotions?"

She blinked in surprise at the question. Her thoughts wandered to what all had happened, to the insanity of it all, of Itachi's words, defeating the nightmare, and dying. Drawing away from him, she replied, "I have lots of emotions: hatred towards my father, caring for what happens to the village and wanting to protect them… and you." she finished with a whisper. "I don't want my father to hurt you or anyone else."

He lifted her chin up so she would look him in the eye. His voice was low as he responded, "Chiisai, you don't know how powerful you are." His thumb grazed the side of her face, his touch flooding her with warmth.

The familiar words pierced her as she stared up at him with wide eyes. "Kakashi…"

With a smile, he responded, "We'll protect the village together, okay?"

Her eyes were brimmed with tears as she pressed against him, wrapping her arms around his lean frame. "Thank you," she said into his vest.

Kakashi, though surprised at first, slipped his arms around her and pulled her closer. His feelings for her were getting out of hand at an alarming rate, but he realized he no longer cared. Feeling her alive and in his arms…

Tilting his head down, Kakashi pressed his lips into her hair.

The room crackled with energy. Chiisai's eyes bolted open and her face flushed red. She drew back instantly, making sure she was out of arm's reach. Kakashi gave out a chuckle at her embarrassment. "What?" She frowned up at him and then immediately looked away. She crossed her arms, knowing the the angrier she got, the redder her face turned. "What's so funny?!"

"That's how I knew it wasn't you," he said thoughtfully.

She opened her mouth, but hesitated. Turning away, she scratched her head and muttered, "Whatever. Now, about that distraction…"

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"It's only a matter of time before you yourself will succumb to sleep. And then you can be reunited with your younger brother and lover, Lady Tsunade."

Her punch went sailing through the air as it struck Kakashi's body square in the chest. He flew back, smashing against the wall behind him in a shattering crash.

Shizune raised an eyebrow in the Hokage's direction. "…Kakashi's body-"

"I'll heal him myself once Kuroi is dead!" She barked with clenched fists. "Shizune, go get Inoichi!"

"Hai!" She glanced once more at the Hokage, but then fled the room.

"How amazing it is to feel again," Kuroi whispered. "Even broken ribs are refreshing," he laughed to himself.

"Your plans have pushed this world on the brink of war for the Land of Fire…I suggest you wake everyone up before that happens." Her words were full of authority and shook the room.

"Sorry," he sat up, "I can't comply with such demands." He stood up, shaking the rubble off of him. "This reality is not an ideal place for anyone to live in. There is no happiness, no true joy in the eyes of anyone."

"This is not a philosophy discussion. You will only be causing more death!"

"I don't care about this world, so why should I reconsider, hmm, Lady Tsunade? What tidbit of information can you give when I have killed your only hope of saving this damned place?"

"She might not have one, but I do," I voice rose from the table. They turned to see Chiisai pulling her hair back, meeting Kakashi's eye evenly. "I'm alive, you asshole. And I'm going to take you down."

Kuroi spoke through. "Maybe I would feel threatened if I didn't know you were Kakashi."

"Oh, he's here, would you like to speak with him?" She smiled cheerily. Her body fell back onto the table before it rose back up again. Her eyes had narrowed, her expression hard. "Obviously, we had a change of plans, Lady Hokage," she said in a monotone voice. "Chiisai is indeed alive and he knows it." She took a look at Kakashi, and noticing his injuries, sighed. Someone was going to be in pain when they finally woke up.

"Kakashi?" Tsunade stared at Chiisai.

"Hai. Kuroi can't see the dream world while in reality."

Tsunade looked from Chiisai to Kakashi. Kakashi's body stiffened as he gave Chiisai a hesitating glare. "Amusing, but merely a distraction."

Chiisai's body faltered, but she immediately straightened as her eyes brightened. "I'm glad you find it amusing. Since Kakashi was talking, I've woken several people up…Though I can see you've already sensed it through your dead clones. Should I do something else to convince you?"

Kakashi's fists tightened. "I'm impressed, Chiisai. I'd never thought you'd be able to free yourself. You've taken advantage of me being absent in the dream world. And you've even mastered your ability enough to use on a greater scale. But I'm afraid you forgot one thing."

"And what's that?"

Her eyes grew wide as Kakashi took out a kunai. Tsunade took her stance, ready for an attack.

He smiled cruelly as he said, "I'm in control of Kakashi's body." And then the weapon went down before Chiisai could blink.

Kakashi's body went rigid suddenly. His eye shrunk in his socket as he glanced around. Kuroi was losing control of the Copy Ninja's body. The weapon fell to the floor with a clank. "What's…going on?"

"I'm not as ignorant as you think, father," Chiisai's voice was as cold as ice. "You won't be waking up in reality again."

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Chiisai hovered in the front of Kakashi's mind. Gathering her energy, she called off her clones that were currently in dreamers' minds. With a deep breath, Chiisai pressed herself against the wall of his mind. Her hands dug into it, feeling for her target. Fabric brushed against her fingers. She grabbed a hold of Kuroi and slowly dragged him out while simultaneously taking back her chakra. He resisted, but Chiisai dug her fingers into his side, stealing more of his chakra to weaken him further.

Someone appeared behind her, his breath brushing against her hair. His hands clamped unto her shoulders as Kuroi whispered, "Wrong move, Small Crow."

Chiisai's eyes widened. The Kuroi she was currently holding onto poofed into thin air as the real one stood behind her. She smiled as he reabsorbed her chakra into him. "Sorry dad, wrong move." She then poofed away as well, leaving Kuroi by himself.

He gave a laugh. "Now you're thinking like a ninja! My, Chiisai, how much you have changed in such a short amount a time!"

Her voice echoed around him. "Well, I've beaten most of my inner demons. All that's left is you."

"You saved the best for last." He smiled into the darkness as chains appeared in his hands. "This time, I'll make sure you won't be able to leave your little prison again."

He saw her then, her small body encompassed in a burning red aura. This wasn't the daughter he had watched behind a seal all those years. Gone was the guilt and self-pity, and now stood a confidence that matched his own. The floor cracked with the weight of her power, and Kuroi was left standing in awe at her new form. Her look was terrifying as she met his chilling gaze. Fire radiated from her hand while she said, "Just looking at you feeds me with the need to kill. You mentally and physically abused me as a child, took advantage of my powers, and even used them for your own purpose. You said you were doing it to protect me, but the scars that remain say otherwise. You've plunged Konoha into the darkness of your dream world, tried to kill my friend, and then kept me prisoner in my own eternal torture. I don't think I can wait on Kakashi." Her lips spread into a grin as she said, "So, daddy, how about we finally end this family feud?"

Kuroi watched his daughter with a smile playing on his lips, knowing that she was more similar to him than they both ever realized.

END


	20. The Dreamer vs The Devourer

Kuroi tilted his head as he asked nonchalantly, "Where is your boyfriend?"

Chiisai replied by blasting him with energy. Kuroi bolted out of the way, but his daughter was a rage of fury. She was on him again, shoving him against the ground. Before she could make a hit, Kuroi had dematerialized and reappeared behind her. Eyes glowing red, Chiisai turned in time and sent him flying across Kakashi's mind.

He skidded against the ground, smiling as he wiped the blood from his lip. "You really want to play this game, Small Crow?" A hundred Kuroi's suddenly surrounded her. Chiisai's fist came down on the ground, sending a ring of fire outwards before they could react. It bombarded each target, making them disappear as quickly as they had come.

And that's how it went, daughter versus father in a battlefield of the mind. They whizzed by each other, overcoming hurtles thrown by the enemy. Whenever one was injured, the wound healed by itself, making it an endless game of wits.

"When do you intend on actually killing me, Chiisai? I don't think you have it in you!" Kuroi mocked as he came at her once again. "Still filled with guilt from last time I wonder?"

Chiisai retaliated with a snarl. Her chakra emanated around her body, causing her to glow. The energy sailed to her opponent. Kuroi's chakra connected with hers, attempting to pull out the energy radiating within her. She locked on, leaving them both immobile as they tugged back and forth.

"You're mine, Chiisai." Kuroi grinned as he yanked back, taking her chakra with him. She choked out a cry as her chakra began to leave her. But she wasn't losing this time. Steeling herself, Chiisai used her hand and released lightning onto the link between them. The lightning, enhanced by the chakra, sailed along the path straight to her father.

Kuroi let out a gasp, and unable to move, was immediately jolted. His body convulsed with electricity before he was forced to let go. He fell to his knees as smoke rose from him. His chest heaved, his eyes gaping at Chiisai. She gave him a smile, obviously enjoying the surprise etched on his face.

"Oh, I'm not filled with guilt anymore. Should I give another example?" However, before she could, Kakashi suddenly landed back into his mind. On seeing their tattered and glowing state, he turned to Chiisai. Anger crossed his face. "The plan?"

She shrugged innocently, which didn't appease him.

But Kuroi was on them again, causing the jonin to jump out of the way. "You came just at the perfect time, Kakashi!" Her father laughed into the air.

The Copy Ninja lifted up his headband. "Chiisai, what did I say about revenge?"

"You said it wouldn't satisfy me, but you said nothing about it _not _defeating my father," she snapped back. Her aura was red again as Kuroi came at her. "It's been working so far!"

"No, it's nearly gotten you killed," He replied as he pulled her out of the way. "Get your head together and stick to the plan. What about doing this together?"

Three Kuroi's appeared around the two. Fire came out of each of their lips. Kakashi pulled up a wall of earth as Chiisai shot water from her hand. "Easier said than done!" Steam sizzled, causing a fog to rise up.

"Well, you're going to have to." Kakashi replied sternly. "There can't be any mistakes." He glanced around the area, his Sharingan alert through the solid haze forming around them.

Kakashi flew upon each Kuroi, his chidori laying a path of destruction on each clone. Chiisai voice rang out suddenly, causing him to turn around. "Chiisai!" The fog had thickened, but Kakashi rushed toward the sight of her chakra. The jonin reached out, and Chiisai grabbed onto his hand.

Her shoulders broadened and her hair receded as the person turned to him. Kuroi's grip tightened on Kakashi's arm. His chakra surrounded the jonin, forcing him to remain still.

"I can't believe that actually worked. You really do care about her, don't you?" He asked thoughtfully. "How touching."

"Kakashi!" Chiisai yelled furiously. She stopped ten feet away, her glowing eyes widening at the sight before her.

"I'll give you a choice, dear daughter." Kuroi forced Kakashi to his knees. A kunai appeared in Kuroi's hand as he stepped in front of Chiisai. "You turn yourself in, and I won't destroy your boyfriend here. He really doesn't matter much to me, even with Sharingan." He paced back and forth casually, his shoes thunking with each step. "Or, you resist, I destroy him before your eyes, and then I imprison you again." He smiled. "What will it be? Who's more important, him or the village?"

Chiisai watched Kakashi, his eye pleading for what she knew she couldn't do. Heart thudding in her chest, Chiisai whispered, "You'd kill him anyway, wouldn't you?"

Spinning the weapon on the tip of his finger, he replied, "The world he's lived in has given him more hell than most. Doesn't he deserve happiness too? I'll weave him a dream worth living. I'll maybe put a version of you in there for his pleasure." His black eyes found his daughter as he held the kunai to Kakashi's throat. "Now, what is your decision Small Crow? You're running out of time."

He yanked Kakashi's head back by the hair. The kunai pressed against the Copy Ninja, causing the fabric to tear. As the sound of the material ripping, Chiisai stepped forward as she exclaimed, "Wait!"

Kuroi lifted an eyebrow in her direction. "Well?"

Tears escaped her eyes as she mouthed to Kakashi, "I'm sorry." Shoulders slumped, Chiisai whispered, "Don't hurt him." She took another step and lifted her hands up.

Kuroi appeared before her, shackling her wrists. She let out a scream as pain rushed into her, causing her to sink to her knees. He smiled. Pulling her head back, he asked, "Was it really worth one man?"

His smile faded upon seeing her face. A grin formed on her lips. At the same time, the chains took away Chiisai's chakra, taking with it the façade.

Kakashi now glared up at Kuroi, his Sharingan spinning as he met Kuroi's gaze.

Kuroi released a gasp, but it was too late to react. The Sharingan had Kuroi under its control.

The skin on the frozen Kakashi cracked and fell away to reveal Chiisai. She walked up towards them as she popped her knuckles. Using her chakra to free Kakashi, she whined, "Did you have to make me look so sappy?"

"To be fair, you missed the first five minutes of the battle. You were quite violent then," he said without looking at her.

"Yeah, sure. C'mon, let's get this over with...I'm still a bit rundown from giving you so much of my energy." She turned to her father who stood still, which forced him to listen. Wiping a strand of hair back, Chiisai said, "Dad, truth is you're a pretty awful father, and I don't mean that lightly." She placed a hand on his shoulder as she felt for her chakra. Voice softening, she continued on. "We can't change what happened. Mom loved you, even after everything you did to her." Chiisai was glowing now as her chakra began to reabsorb back into her. "I don't know how, but she still loved and appreciated you. You were just too preoccupied with my power to see it. I can't love you like she did, and I suspect you could care less." Her aura turned white as her power surged within her now. "You chose suffering over love. The dream world can't fix that. The dream world will always be what it is: a dream."

She placed her other hand on him. Her chakra poured back into her, making her seethe with energy. Faster it traveled, leaving her gasping for air. It was too much, but her hands were stuck to his skin. Her body shook with power as it spilled back into her. The chakra couldn't be controlled, even when she willed it stop. It forced its way into her and she absorbed it all like a wet sponge.

Kuroi had spent ten years marinating in the chakra that sat behind the seal. Her chakra had tangled itself inside him, delving deeper into him than she thought possible.

Her eyes widened at the realization, but it was too late.

Kuroi's body was just an empty shell now. Chiisai fell back to the ground as her fingers dug into her chest. Kakashi stood over her, his eye wide with worry. The place quaked with energy as Chiisai's glow brightened further and further.

"Chiisai!"

Her eyes found his before her body convulsed, her pupils flickering to red. She grabbed onto her head. "Get…out…of my mind!" She yelled to the crackling air.

Kakashi took hold of her shoulders, but he was instantly blown back. The air was knocked out of him as he collided with the wall of his own mind. He staggered to his feet and gazed in horror of what lay before him. She was on her knees, her hands in fists as the ground around her burst upwards, defying gravity. The air spun around her like a tornado, causing his clothing to ripple against him.

"You've lost, Small Crow," her voice was low and booming like thunder, her eyes glowing blood red. "I enjoyed your sentiments, but you are wrong. The dream world will be everyone's reality. And I now have the power to do just that."

She extended her hand. A map appeared, shooting up like a tree. The energy that radiated from her traveled into each mind that surfaced on the map, turning into hundreds of branches that bloomed into dreams. With each second, more and more victims fell to Kuroi's control.

"S-Stop it!" Her body staggered and the image flickered out. Chiisai struggled against her father, even using her body to get him out of her. She slammed into the ground again and again, but it was no use. The aura around her darkened as she boomed, "Give up already!"

Kakashi, with his hand shielding his eyes, slowly edged closer. The wind was like a hurricane now, but still he held on with determination in his eye. They had come too far to let this happen. His feet slid against the floor as he stumbled closer. "Chiisai!" He yelled over the wind.

Her eyes lit up for a second at the sound of his voice, but he was soon drowned out by the wailing of the wind. His voice lost, Kuroi was back in control. Her furious eyes narrowed at the jonin as she shot a wave of flames and shurikens towards him.

With nowhere else to go, Kakashi quickly used earth release and dug underground. He burrowed to his opponent, trying to come up with a plan. If Chiisai still responded to him, then there might be some hope to get her back.

The jonin shot through what little ground lay between him and Chiisai. She jumped away at the sight of him, but Kakashi was quick to grab her. "Chiisai," his voice beckoned her out. She was still in there, she had to be.

Her furrowed eyebrows slowly rose, her eyes widening as she gazed up at her comrade. "Farm Boy," her lips mouthed the words. The wind died down and the pieces of earth fell as her attention focused on him.

"Errr," She groaned as she grabbed her head. Kakashi tightened his grip on her while saying, "Hold on!"

But she was no longer listening or in control. Her hand flew out but the jonin deflected her attack.

"You can't defeat me," her voice scratched out. "You never could. The dream world is mine, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" Her body radiated a burning red, hitting Kakashi the closer he came to her. Daggers materialized and aimed at him. He weaved through them, trying to get to his comrade. His clothes tore and skin ripped open, but still he pushed forward as the wind rose once again. With one last effort, Kakashi took a leap through her attacks. Fiery energy scorched him as he finally faced Chiisai.

In one swift motion, he grabbed her by the back of the neck, jerked his mask down, and crushed his lips against hers.

She pulled back, but Kakashi didn't let her go. The scorching energy burned against him, blistering his skin. Slowly, her resistance stopped, along with the burning chakra.

The chaos came to an immediate halt. He pulled back, noticing her eyes returning to their normal color. Her fingers dug into his torn vest as she met his eye.

Her lips spread as she whispered, "You…"

A gust of wind came out of her palm, hitting Kakashi as he was thrown back. "You idiot!" Chiisai wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Filled with anger and embarrassment, she yelled, "Why the hell did you do that?!"

He pulled his mask back up. "You needed some motivation."

Her eyes flickered between red and black, but her anger towards Kakashi shown through. "Motivation…My ass!" Her hand radiated white as she dug her fingers into her chest, searching for her father. "Now I'm really pissed off!" Her fingers grabbed onto a link of glowing chakra. With a furious shout, she yanked the energy out of her, though her body struggled against her.

"No!" Her low voice resonated, her eyes flickering back to red. Her fingers trembled over her chest, but Chiisai wouldn't stop.

"I…won't let you…win!" She yelled. Her fingers clenched into her skin once again. The action was slow and meticulous, but each inch separated her from Kuroi. The villagers, Itachi, and Kakashi surfaced in her mind, fueling her determination.

_You don't know how powerful you are._

Sweat beaded her forehead as she moaned, "I will protect…the ones I love!"

With one last strenuous pull, Chiisai flung her father out of her. The form of Kuroi took shape on the ground. Kuroi darted forward as he went for her again. Chiisai extended her hand. Chains appeared on his wrists and he let out a cry of rage. The same chains used against his daughter now held him firmly in place.

"Men," Chiisai breathed unevenly, "are all a bunch of assholes."

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She trudged up to what was left of her father. The chains had sucked up all the chakra left that was Chiisai's, leaving Kuroi weak and struggling to stay up. His eye glinted with hatred as he snarled, "You may have defeated me, but it's not over. Your power will slowly consume you until someone else comes after it. You will never be free," he smiled grimly. "Your reality will make you suffer as long as you live."

She ignored him, and having nothing left to say, traced her finger over the cold metal. It sucked up the last of her stolen energy that the chains had untangled from her father. His body shuddered and he grew frantic. He shouted again, "You will never be free! You hear me, Small Crow?!"

His daughter's fate left him laughing long after he faded out of existence.

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Chiisai sank to the ground, her body shaking as she let out a deep breath. Kakashi was immediately beside her. She shrugged away from him and struggled to say, "I'm still mad at you."

He let out a hopeless sigh. "It worked though."

"Yeah," Chiisai sighed with him. "It worked." She turned to him, and upon seeing him, let out a noise. "Did I do that to you?"

He glanced down at his hands, which were raw from holding on to Chiisai. His body was covered in fresh splitting blisters, and pain pulsated with each movement he made.

"That's what you get for kissing me, idiot." Nevertheless, she placed a hand on him, her healing touch traveling to the rest of Kakashi's body.

They sat silent beside each other in what was left of the mental battlefield. "Has everyone awakened?"

Shaking her head, she replied, "No. He used my chakra to isolate them in the dream world. I'm going to have to clean up his mess." She rose to her feet as she observed his mind.

Kakashi nodded calmly as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long will you stay in the dream world?"

She shrugged. "My ability has a hold of thousands of minds that extend outside the village. It's weird, but I can sense them in the back of my mind…Yet it's not taking me over, like they're being stored in a filing cabinet or something. I might be able to release them at once, but I don't find it likely. My father seemed to have more control over my power than I ever did," she muttered grudgingly.

"It will take a long time then."

"Probably." She elbowed his shoulder. "I expect a crapload of books waiting on me when I wake up though."

He smiled. "Heart's content, I remember."

"Good. My comatose should give you plenty of time."

"Hai." Kakashi's smile faded as she stepped away from him. "Chiisai," he began.

Her eyes filled with sadness as she smiled faintly. "Sorry, Farm Boy- time for you to wake up again."

And then she was gone, her absence disintegrating the dream and sending him back into reality alone.

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_Authors Note: Was everything communicated correctly? How do you all like/dislike it? Should I insert an alternative almost-ending or something? Just curious, there was a ton of character development in a short amount of time and yeah…Give me the feedback,whether good or bad, you beautiful people! I probably rushed this because I kept obsessing the ending while I have 4 exams in the next 13 days! And the story's not over yet! Derp :P_


	21. Aftermath

"Hey, Kakashi!"

The white-haired jonin turned to see Gai approach.

"Come celebrate with the rest of us, eternal rival! Everyone's finally awake! "

He didn't correct him. There was still one person asleep, just one woman hidden away from the view of others. Kakashi glanced at Kurenai and Asuma who stood behind Gai. He could tell they were concerned about him again, it seemed they always were. "I've already made plans," he replied without emotion.

"What plans come before friends?!" the ninja protested vigorously as he grabbed Kakashi's arm. "You've been avoiding us for a month and a half!"

Had he? "I've been busy."

"Where's your youth?!" Gai pulled on Kakashi, dragging him back to their other friends. "You must come!"

The Copy Ninja slipped out of his grasp. "Sorry Gai."

And with that, Kakashi turned and resumed down the street.

"Ka-"

"Leave him be,"Asuma cut him off.

"We're worried about him too, Gai," Kurenai added sympathetically. "Let's give him more time."

The Green Beast hesitated, watching his friend. With a slow nod, he finally turned and followed them out.

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He trudged into the white room. Machines hummed with life around him, but Chiisai lay silent, her body still in the small hospital bed. Her chest rose and fell, all signs showing that she was still alive. But each day had past, and she didn't wake up. She looked exactly the same as yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that.

He waited for her every night, whether within the room or in his dreams. And each morning, he would wake to find that nothing had changed.

Kakashi pulled up the chair he usually preoccupied. He felt like it had molded to his body, the way it curved around his thighs. The same light blared above as he gazed down at Chiisai. Not a hair on her head was out of place.

Everyone was awake now, all had been accounted for. And though the village still silently feared falling asleep, most had moved on. Tonight was a night for rejoicing that the mysterious ailment plagued no more.

Now if only Chiisai could rejoice with them.

The threats against the Land of Fire had soon vanished when the first ones woke up. The village bordered on chaos, saying that it was a weapon tested on innocent bystanders. Others said that it was a sickness of the mind and would soon cover every land. Perhaps it was divine judgment. The rumors spread like wildfire, but no evidence ever came to light. Konoha slowly fell back into the pattern of normality, leaving behind the threat that had arrived and left in such a short amount of time.

Cries of joy had greeted their ears when eyes fluttered open to see reality. And though tests were performed on each victim, no information could be accounted for. The dream world had been trapped within Chiisai's powers, and there it stayed. The only thoughts the victims could muster was that it had felt like a wonderful dream.

The only ones who knew of what really happened were he, The Hokage, Shizune, and Inoichi. Once Kakashi returned to reality, Chiisai's body had immediately been sent to a safe location away from suspicious eyes.

Explaining the situation to the Council had been another ordeal. Lady Tsunade informed them that the threat was no more, that the nightmare had been eradicated from existence. Their ignorance to the situation left them with Lord Danzo, but he too was disclosed with no information.

Chiisai had limitless knowledge on every villager. She also had the potential to control anyone under her spell, and even plant thoughts inside their heads. Not to mention her ability to destroy anyone from within their own body.

No, Chiisai was to be another Konohagakure secret held by only a few.

Keeping her safe was an easy task right now, but what would happen when she awoke? Her physical defenses lacked any strength, and enforcing ANBU to watch over Chiisai would put her right under Danzo's spotlight. But that wouldn't matter as long as she continued to dream.

Sighing, Kakashi slid his hand down the flap in his pocket. Pulling it out, he placed the novel on top of the rising stack. There were forty-eight books, one for each day she remained in comatose. Then, taking out the second edition of the Icha Icha series, Kakashi leaned back and read, clinging to the hope that this was the night she would finally return to him.

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"We cannot locate her, Lord Danzo. We believe she has been taken to an underground facility."

"Lady Tsunade is keeping secrets it seems. The woman will surface soon. Keep watch until then."

The masked ninja nodded, and with one last bow, disappeared from sight.

Danzo glanced down at the file before him once again, though he already had it committed to memory. Secrets could never be kept hidden from him for long. After all, he was the man who created most secrets concerning the village.

He recalled running into this woman twice before. Once was with the Sandaime after her parents' deaths. It did not seem surprising at the time due to her post-traumatic stress. Knowing how Hiruzen was such an overly compassionate man, Danzo had instantly moved on.

The next one, however, had spurred his curiosity, if only he had made the time to dwell on such thoughts. Seeing such a simple girl with Itachi Uchiha was an uncommon sight indeed. And though numerous girls fawned over the boy, Itachi had been receptive to this one, perhaps even returning her favor.

It had been fifty-two days since the last sighting of her. The woman was hidden well enough to outwit the ninjas even within ROOT, and tracking her affiliates produced nothing. Danzo knew in his bones that she was involved in the incident the Hokage refused to talk about. What power could this librarian possess to wield such value with Lady Tsunade?

Once Chiisai Kasaru was located, Danzo would make sure to run into her again.

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Her eyes bolted open, her body jerking back to life. Her heart felt like it was pounding against her, trying to free itself from its fleshy prison. Her fingers tightened around the sheets as she struggled to breathe. That's right, she was breathing inside a body.

She was awake!

She was in a room, a very white, thrumming, hospital room.

And she was alone. Utterly, pathetically, alone.

Resting her head against the pillow, Chiisai laid still as she attempted to feel her body. Not just feel it, but feel what it was like to actually feel again. The dream world had senses, but nothing compared to reality she had discovered. Like her toes digging into the cold, thin sheets. Or the chemical smell of cleanliness that hung over the room. And the blaring light that stained the back of her eyes.

Her body was weak. It was weak and hungry and her wrist throbbed from the needles jutted inside it. How long had she been out? Her dark eyes blinked up at the ceiling. There were no windows and not a clock in sight.

Had they forgotten about her- just stored her comatose body in a guarded facility? Did they give up on her waking up? How long had she been out?

With a frustrated groan, she barely managed to pull herself up and swing her legs out of the bed. Everything was sickeningly white, except for the pile of books that-

Her eyes went back to the books. There were six piles of books. She counted each one thoroughly.

Sixty-two books.

Her heart skipped a beat knowing that he had kept his promise. And that he had been here at least once. At one time, she had not been forgotten.

Sixty-two. Is that how long she was in the dream world? Or what if she had been gone for a year? What if she was sixty-two now?! She blinked down at her hands and was relieved to see wrinkleless skin.

Chiisai's powers were rustier than she thought, and freeing each mind took every ounce of energy she had. Not to mention that time she got stuck inside a kid's subconscious for a day, and then discerning the free dreams and the trapped dreams were a hassle. Chiisai had made sure that no one was left in their dream prison. Then she was almost too weak to find her real body. That had taken longer than she thought too.

And suddenly she realized she knew absolutely nothing except she was alive and alone.

With a frustrated groan, Chiisai ripped the needles from her skin. The machines blared horrendously loud, but that was the least of her worries. She placed both hands down on either side of her and pushed off.

A mistake.

She must have been out for a long time, because her legs weren't used to supporting weight. Forward she fell, and for a moment Chiisai humored the thought that this would be a terribly ironic way to die-straight into a pile of books.

A strange noise entered her ears, but she didn't bother to listen because at that moment she was giving Death a good laugh and she didn't want to interrupt.

"Oof!" A hand grabbed around her waist, catching her before she hit the piles of books. The person then scooped her up and placed her back on the bed in a blink of an eye.

Chiisai raised her head from the green vest to see Kakashi in front of her. His eye was intense as ever, his expression unreadable while he gazed down at her. Chiisai had wanted to see him looking relieved at her lively state, but now he seemed more guarded than ever. Instead, she thought him haggard.

Heart pounding and not knowing what to say, Chiisai shifted her gaze to the other person in the room: Lady Tsunade. She stood by the machine that had been just turned off. However, her expression was indistinguishable as well. Or maybe Chiisai had forgotten to differentiate facial expressions.

The Hokage smiled down at her. "It's nice to see you back, Chiisai."

"Uh," her voice scratched against her throat. "How long was I out?"

Kakashi pulled out a book from his pocket and placed it neatly on one of the stacks. "Sixty-three days," he whispered. Furrowing his eyebrow, he stepped closer and said, "You're trembling."

She was. Her body shook all over and she couldn't control of it. She tightened her grip on the bed to steady herself, but dizziness set in.

The blonde shook her head and picked up the needles laying on the bed. "These are what have been keeping your body functioning all this time and you ripped them right out!"

"I panicked when I woke up. W-What d-did you expect?" Pain filled her and she let out a moan. Her body wasn't used to so much activity and it hurt to speak.

Closing his eye, Kakashi swallowed his emotions and turned his attention to Lady Tsunade. The Hokage placed a hand over Chiisai. "Your body has been dependent on the medicine for so long it immediately started having withdrawals."

"Th-then put me b-back on it!"

The Hokage shook her head and replied firmly, "We were going to have to wean you off of them anyway. Now that your body has begun the process, it's best to let nature take its course."

"I th-think I might p-puke."

Regretfully, Lady Tsunade informed, "I'm going to have to put you under until the side effects wear off, Chiisai."

Her eyes widened as she muttered, "I-I've been under f-for sixty-three days!"

"I know. It will only be for a short while." Tsunade hand began to glow green as she began the process.

Chiisai grabbed onto Kakashi's hand. "I d-don't want to wake up a-alone," she pleaded.

His eye softened down at her. Nodding, Kakashi squeezed her hand and replied, "Don't worry. I'll be right here."

The edges of Kakashi's frame grew fuzzy, but his words had gone through and that was enough. She let go then and wandered into the last dreamless sleep she would ever have.

End (Not The End though. Just sayin')

_Feast your eyes on over 2000 words of procrastination! Any grammatical errors? Yes, there will be a sequel though I'm not sure how many will actually read it...But that's okay because look I just introduced Danzo as the next villain! Thank you for the faves, follows, and reviews! It makes me super happy! Probably 1-2 chapters more and then I can officially write "The End." Also, the sequel will have more humor and romance...More information coming soon!_

_I feel bad for Chiisai waking up alone though._


	22. An Entirely Different Matter

Lady Tsunade removed her glowing hands from Chiisai. "She will be out for several days. The detoxification will be hard on her body." She glanced over at Kakashi, but his eye was still locked on Chiisai, his hand still on hers. The Hokage let out a sigh. "Are you still okay concerning the arrangement we've made?"

The jonin nodded towards Tsunade as he spoke. "The plan will keep her close and safe."

"It will also cause unwanted attention."

Letting go of her hand, he said, "It poses a good distraction." he paused. "Chiisai won't be too happy about it."

The Hokage regarded the jonin she had known for so long. "You care for her, don't you Kakashi?"

He shoved his hands in his pockets. "...I do."

"I would advise setting aside your personal feelings, but given the circumstances, you will be able to use it to your advantage."

"Convincing everyone else might be a problem."

She crossed her arms. "I've read the report. The relationship you two share is what will make it believable."

He let out a sigh. "She's going to be a hassle."

"You've managed worse."

He merely nodded at her words, only feeling that this time everything was different.

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Chiisai's head was swimming when she finally awoke. Lying on her side wasn't her normal sleeping position either. Her body felt too heavy to move and she was afraid moving too much might cause her to throw up. But something tickled her hand and sent chills up her arm, making it hard to remain still.

Opening her eyes, the woman looked to see his thumb tracing circles on the palm of her hand. Kakashi sat beside her, his head stuck in "Make-Out Paradise."

Groggily, she whispered, "…You real?"

His hand went still. The book slowly came down as Kakashi met her gaze.

She squinted up at him, trying to clear the haze over her vision. "You look…really tired."

He placed the book on his lap as he explained. "We thought you'd wake up sooner. Your body's very susceptive to ninjutsu."

"Yeah," Chiisai croaked hoarsely. "How's your day, Farm Boy?"

"Better. You had me worried." He paused. "Chiisai."

Her eyes were already closing. "Mhhmm?"

He leaned closer as he shook his head. "Knowing how stubborn you are, I'll never get this chance after you wake up." He hesitated. "Answer me truthfully."

"Yeah," she nodded slowly, "I'm a truther."

"What are your feelings toward me?"

"You annoy me." There was no hesitation in her response.

An anvil might as well have hit his head. "…I see."

She smiled through the nausea, drifting back into her narcotic state. "But…I like you more than you annoy me." Her eyes opened slowly. "I'd put a book down to talk to you…Even if I'm at the good part."

He glanced down at the numerous books littering the ground. He whispered, "You must like me a lot then."

"Mmhmm." Yawning, she shifted back under the covers and closed her eyes. "Kakashi?"

"Hai."

Her finger tapped against his gloved hand. "You kinda like me too, don't you?"

He watched her for a moment, noticing how pale she had gotten in the past week. "Yes, Chiisai."

Lowering her voice, Chiisai responded sluggishly, "I won't tell anyone. Trust me…I'm good with secrets."

She was already asleep by the time he wiped her hair back. Sighing, he leaned back in the chair, saying to himself, "Too bad the secret's already out."

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It took two weeks for the worst of the withdrawal symptoms to disappear. And when Shizune came in during her daily check-up, she was concerned to find Chiisai in an unlikely place.

She sat on the floor, her forehead resting against the corner of the pale white walls. Knees drawn up and head bowed, Chiisai didn't bother turning to the the sound. Shizune was left standing in the doorway.

The woman hesitated. "Umm…Chiisai?"

"Hmm."

Her dark eyes shifted away. "It's time for your check-up...Is everything alright?"

Slowly, Chiisai shook her head. "No."

Her hand lingered on the door. "Should I get-?"

Dragging herself to her feet, she mumbled, "Preferably no."

Shizune observed her patient, worry growing in the back of her mind. Chiisai stood like a ghost, her skin matching the walls that surrounded her. Her hair hung flat, hiding the red under her glazed eyes. Her body was having a hard time without the medicine it had depended on for so long.

Chiisai trudged back to the bed so Shizune could begin the usual procedure: check heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature; then medical ninjutsu to see how her body was fairing. It was a robotic routine done with little conversation. The weigh-ins were the worst.

"You're worried about me."

Shizune glanced at Chiisai, surprised that she broke the usual silence that hung in the room. "Yes," she responded honestly. "You have been drained physically, mentally, and emotionally. Having to isolate you in this place doesn't help you I think either."

Chiisai kept her eyes trained on the wall as she spoke. "I've been testing myself by taking away nightmares. I take away their terror by letting me feel it instead of them."

Shizune only nodded, still shocked at the woman's sudden openness to her. "That must put a strain on you."

It was a few moments before Chiisai spoke again. Her voice was low and sounded distant. "The one I absorbed last night was from a friend. He dreamed of being forced to kill cats." She closed her eyes, and Shizune noticed her body go still. "The thing is…that actually happened. My father forced him to kill my cat while he was asleep. And it finally sunk in that Tori's dead…And I don't even care that my father's dead."

Her hands stopped glowing green at Chiisai's words. She searched her face. There were no tears in her eyes as she stared blankly ahead. Chiisai was a shell- hollow and devoid of life.

Shizune stared down at her hands. "Though Tonton is Lady Tsunade's, I don't know what I'd do without her. It's amazing the bond formed between humans and animals…" They were quiet for several moments before Shizune finally rose to her feet. The wooden chair scuttled back against the linoleum.

Looking down at her patient, the woman extended a hand and asked, "Would you like to go for a walk?"

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Laughter entered his ears. It was a sound rarely heard in the secret stone-cold bunker. And it especially confused him when he recognized who it belonged to. He knew they had been taking walks since last week, but he had little hope that Chiisai would voluntarily open up to others. She barely even spoke a kind word to him now that she was awake.

"And I couldn't get him to wake up!"

"So that's why Lady Tsunade's been so angry at him!"

Shizune and Chiisai turned the corner, both grinning. However, they both stopped on seeing him.

His eye softened at finally seeing her smile. She looked significantly better and the color had slowly returned to her skin, thank the Sixth Paths. He lifted a hand up at them. "Yo."

Chiisai crossed her arms. "I heard all of my dream journals miraculously made it into Lady Tsunade's hands," she eyed him accusingly.

He replied evenly, "You should have hidden them better."

"Or maybe you should've respected my privacy and not snooped."

With a shrug he said, "I'm a ninja. It's my job."

"Kakashi," Shizune frowned, "I thought you had a meeting with Lady Tsunade?"

The jonin nodded, directing his attention to the Hokage's attendant. "I've been sent to bring Chiisai."

"What?" Her eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"

"ANBU have been lurking around unauthorized recently. It's becoming a problem."

Shizune shook her head in frustration. "She hasn't fully recovered yet. Surely Lady Tsunade isn't going to do what I think she is."

Kakashi nodded. "I'm afraid she is."

"Is what?" Chiisai eyed the two, but neither would look at her.

He placed a hand on her head, his fingers sinking into her brown hair. "Get changed. I'll be there in five, whether you're dressed or not." He turned her around with his hand and nudged her forward.

"I don't appreciate the manhandling, Farm Boy," She growled back at him as she stumbled.

"Don't care."

Giving him one last glare with a string of incoherent words, Chiisai slowly turned the corner and muttered, "…Just wait until you fall asleep, you little bastard…"

When she was gone, Kakashi turned his attention back to Shizune. "She seems recovered enough."

Shizune shook her head. "She has improved significantly, but her body still has symptoms left by the medicine. She sometimes has seizures on our walks…And it takes her a few minutes to come back around. That's what I worry about."

His eye narrowed at the new information. "No one mentioned that to me."

"She didn't want you to know."

Sighing, he shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets. "The situation is as fragile as it is already."

Frowning at his departure, she asked, "Are you getting her right now?"

"Hai."

"It hasn't even been two minutes."

He turned the corner after smiling and saying, "I know."

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Lady Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the two standing in front of her. Chiisai silently fumed beside Kakashi, who didn't seem to notice. Shaking her head, she finally addressed the woman in front of her.

"Chiisai," the Hokage began, "you said at one time that you would like to work with us. Does that offer still stand?"

Her eyes found Tsunade's. "…Yes."

Nodding, she replied, "Good. There are only four people who know your secret, and I want to keep it that way. How did you hide working under the Third?"

She closed her eyes, remembering her life ten years ago. "The Sandaime had regular open meetings with me after my parents' deaths. We made it look like he was just concerned for my post-traumatic stress." Chiisai shifted her feet, not looking any of them in the eye now. "Later, my information was mediated through a ninja."

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "And who was that ninja?"

Calmly, she whispered, "…Itachi."

Her eyes widened at the name. "Uchiha?"

"So five people know your secret then," Kakashi added.

She nodded. "He has no concern for my power though. Itachi won't be a problem."

Kakashi glanced at her, noticing the intimacy she used with the Uchiha's name. "He was the one that discovered your power…Wasn't he?"

She shifted her gaze to the window, but her body language spoke for her.

Tsunade crossed her arms. "We will discuss this later. For now, I would like you to know the arrangements we've made."

"Arrangements?" Her eyebrows creased. "What do you mean?"

"Keeping you safe is the number one priority. We cannot let you fall into the wrong hands. Unfortunately, you do not have the training or the experience to ensure your own safety."

Her shoulders sank. "…Well thanks for that last bit there," Chiisai mumbled.

Ignoring the woman, Tsunade continued. "Normally, we would place ANBU to monitor you, however, Danzo would be sure to get wind of it. We plan on having you hidden in plain sight, just like the Third did. You need to have a guard with you at all times."

"And that's Kakashi I assume," she said in a deflated voice as she glanced up at him.

"Yes. In order to remain discrete with your missions, Kakashi will be the mediator between you and me."

"So, what?" Her tone changed as her eyes widened. "We're stuck with each other?"

Kakashi sighed. "I told you she wouldn't be happy about it."

Her toes curled into the hard ground. "How are we supposed to be around each other twenty-four seven? Is he just going to be a stalker from some bad romance novel and watch me sleep every night?"

Tsunade's annoyance slowly surfaced as her fingers tightened around her arms. "You will be living together."

"What?! I can't live with him, he's too, well, look at him!" Her eyes glared daggers at the jonin, who only shook his head. Chiisai's body went rigid at a new thought. Her head fell in her hands as she realized, "Oh, god, if I'm living with him, then that must mean-"

The Hokage nodded, amusement now showing on her face. "You two will be posing under a romantic relationship."

She scowled at the ninja beside her. "Did you suggest this? Why would you agree to such a thing?!"

Kakashi extended his hand, stopping Chiisai from attacking him. "Look, it's the only thing we could think of to ensure the safety of you and the village. I'm not too happy about this either." He added gruffly, "…Especially since I've seen your cleaning skills."

Her fists tried to find their target, but she was too short and his hand was pushing her head back. "It's organized chaos! And why do you have to be so damn meticulous about everything?"

Tsunade interrupted their argument. "Your things have already been moved into Kakashi's apartment."

She stopped her attack, gaping at the Hokage. "Don't I have a say in this?!"

"No. You'll still be working at the library if that helps," Lady Tsunade shrugged.

"Wait, I've been gone for around three months. Doesn't this sound a bit rushed? How long is this going to be?" She still gawked at the Hokage, trying to figure out how they came to this unanimous conclusion without her.

"Yes, we've had to rush things a bit, and it will only last until we can come up with something better." She glanced at the jonin. "Kakashi will give you the details about everything else."

Sighing, Chiisai hunched her shoulders in defeat. "I'll have to socialize, won't I?"

Kakashi crossed his arms. "You've already made friends with Shizune…surprisingly."

"I hate you," she seethed.

His eyebrow flattened. "It won't hurt to make some friends, Chiisai."

"Friends, I can probably handle." She raked a hand through her hair as she finished, "Boyfriend, however, is an entirely different matter."

Tsunade reassured her, "Remember the reason why we're doing this, Chiisai. If Danzo or anyone else knew about you…"

"Yeah, yeah." Chiisai rubbed her forehead. "Can we at least have some sort of contract? Because I'm not having sex with you just to "ensure the safety of the village.""

Kakashi raised an eyebrow in her direction. He responded evenly, "You won't need an excuse like that to have sex with me."

Her hands tightened to fists. "Just wait until you fall asleep, Farm Boy. You're gonna have a hell of a nightmare."

"It would probably be sex with you," he said in his emotionless voice.

"Shuttup! You and your damn comebacks piss me off!"

"Already bickering like a married couple," Tsunade huffed. "Alright, we will make a contract for your benefit, Chiisai."

"Fantastic," she shot back. "I can't wait to get started."

Kakashi and Chiisai glared at each other, both thinking the same thing:

This was possibly going to be the worst mission ever.

THE END

_It's the end finally! The sequel is called The Dream Breather and is currently lurking in the swampy depths of this website. O_O_

_Thank you all for reading (and favoriting, following, reviewing, and being awesome)!_


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